Support for Astrophysical Observatories and National High-Energy Astrophysics Hubs Act of 2026

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.

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

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

(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

(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.