Introduced in Senate — S. 4044

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4044

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 10, 2026

Mr. Markey (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to designate national high-energy astrophysics hubs.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Support for Astrophysical Observatories and National High-Energy Astrophysics Hubs Act of 2026.

Sec. 2. Support for astrophysical observatories and national high-energy astrophysics hubs

(a) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

the United States should maintain its global leadership in high-energy astrophysics;

(2)

in order to maintain such leadership, the United States should support X-ray flagship missions based on the recommendations of the most recent and future decadal Surveys in Astronomy and Astrophysics issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine;

(3)

the workforce associated with high-energy astrophysics constitutes a national strategic asset that will be critical to the development and eventual operation of any such flagship mission; and

(4)

proactive steps should be taken to ensure that the capabilities of current high-energy astrophysics facilities continue to serve the scientific, educational, and commercial interests of the United States long beyond the duration of the current high-energy astrophysics flagship mission.

(b) Designation

(1) In general

The Administrator shall designate as a national high-energy astrophysics hub each eligible facility described in paragraph (2).

(2) Eligible facility described

An eligible facility described in this paragraph is an entity that—

(A)

(i)

is party to a contract with NASA; and

(ii)

plans and operates missions that conduct activities for purposes of—

(I)

ensuring continued United States leadership in high-energy astrophysics and related space sciences;

(II)

supporting training and workforce development in data-intensive high-energy astrophysics, aerospace engineering, and spacecraft operations;

(III)

advancing United States capabilities in high-performance scientific software, spaceflight operations, and technology transfer;

(IV)

enabling future high-energy astrophysics missions through mission design, planning, and scientific coordination; or

(V)

serving as a collaborative national resource for academic, governmental, and commercial partners; and

(B)

(i)

is an institution of higher education;

(ii)

is an appropriate State or Federal entity, including a federally funded research and development center; or

(iii)

is a nongovernmental organization with expertise in advanced energy technology research, development, demonstration, or commercial application.