(a) General.—
A sponsor may submit to the Secretary of Transportation an application for a project grant. The application must state the project to be undertaken and be in the form and contain the information the Secretary requires.
(b) Considerations and Consultation.—
(1) In selecting proposed projects for grants under this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall consider—
(A)
the contribution of the project to industry capabilities that serve the United States Government’s space transportation needs;
(D)
the positive impact of the project on the international competitiveness of the United States space transportation industry;
(F)
the impact of the project on launch operations and other activities at Government launch ranges.
(c) Requirements.—The Secretary of Transportation may approve an application only if the Secretary is satisfied that—
(2) the project is reasonably consistent with plans (existing at the time of approval of the project) of public agencies that are—
(d) Preference for Industry Contributions.—
The Secretary of Transportation shall give preference to applications for projects for which there will be greater industry financial contributions, all other factors being equal.
(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1344, § 70303 of title 49; renumbered § 70303 then § 51103 of title 51, Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (4)(C), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, 3441.)