51 U.S.C. § 40301 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 51. National and Commercial Space Programs § 40301. Purposes

(1) increase the understanding, assessment, development, and utilization of space resources by promoting a strong educational base, responsive research and training activities, and broad and prompt dissemination of knowledge and techniques;

(2) utilize the abilities and talents of the universities of the Nation to support and contribute to the exploration and development of the resources and opportunities afforded by the space environment;

(3) encourage and support, within the university community of the Nation, the existence of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary programs of space research that--

(4) encourage and support the existence of consortia, made up of university and industry members, in order to advance the exploration and development of space resources in cases in which national objectives can be better fulfilled through such consortia than through the programs of single universities;

(5) encourage and support Federal funding for graduate fellowships in fields related to space; and

(6) support activities in colleges and universities generally for the purpose of creating and operating a network of institutional programs that will enhance achievements resulting from efforts under this chapter.