---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 30902"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "30902"
heading: "Charles “Pete” Conrad Astronomy Awards"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/30902"
units:
  - "Subtitle III — Administrative Provisions"
  - "Chapter 309 — Awards"
---

# §30902. Charles “Pete” Conrad Astronomy Awards

- (a) **Short Title.—** This section may be cited as the “Charles ‘Pete’ Conrad Astronomy Awards Act”.
- (b) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) **Amateur astronomer.—** The term “amateur astronomer” means an individual whose employer does not provide any funding, payment, or compensation to the individual for the observation of asteroids and other celestial bodies, and does not include any individual employed as a professional astronomer.
  - (2) **Minor planet center.—** The term “Minor Planet Center” means the Minor Planet Center of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
  - (3) **Near-earth asteroid.—** The term “near-Earth asteroid” means an asteroid with a perihelion distance of less than 1.3 Astronomical Units from the Sun.
  - (4) **Program.—** The term “Program” means the Charles “Pete” Conrad Astronomy Awards Program established under [subsection (c)](#c).
- (c) **Charles “Pete” Conrad Astronomy Awards Program.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall establish the Charles “Pete” Conrad Astronomy Awards [Program](#b-4).
  - (2) **Awards.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall make awards under the [Program](#b-4) based on the recommendations of the [Minor Planet Center](#b-2).
  - (3) **Award categories.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) shall make one annual award, unless there are no eligible discoveries or contributions, for each of the following categories:
    - (A) **Discovery of brightest near-earth asteroid.—** The [amateur astronomer](#b-1) or group of [amateur astronomers](#b-1) who in the preceding calendar year discovered the intrinsically brightest [near-Earth asteroid](#b-3) among the [near-Earth asteroids](#b-3) that were discovered during that year by [amateur astronomers](#b-1) or groups of [amateur astronomers](#b-1).
    - (B) **Greatest contribution to cataloguing near-earth asteroids.—** The [amateur astronomer](#b-1) or group of [amateur astronomers](#b-1) who made the greatest contribution to the [Minor Planet Center](#b-2)’s mission of cataloguing [near-Earth asteroids](#b-3) during the preceding year.
  - (4) **Award amount.—** An award under the [Program](#b-4) shall be in the amount of $3,000.
  - (5) **Guidelines.—**
    - (A) **Citizen or permanent resident.—** No individual who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States at the time of the individual’s discovery or contribution may receive an award under this section.
    - (B) **Finality.—** The decisions of the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) in making awards under this section are final.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3372.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 30902 | 42 U.S.C. 16792. | Pub. L. 109–155, title VI, § 613, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2932. |