[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 675 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 675

Congratulating the men and women of the Commercial Crew Program of the 
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Space Exploration 
 Technologies Corporation and astronauts Robert L. Behnken and Douglas 
 G. Hurley on the successful completion of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 test 
                                flight.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 6, 2020

    Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Rubio) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Congratulating the men and women of the Commercial Crew Program of the 
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Space Exploration 
 Technologies Corporation and astronauts Robert L. Behnken and Douglas 
 G. Hurley on the successful completion of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 test 
                                flight.

Whereas, on July 8, 2011, the space shuttle Atlantis launched from the Kennedy 
        Space Center on the 135th and final flight (referred to in this preamble 
        as ``STS-135'') of the Space Transportation System of the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``NASA'');
Whereas, following the retirement of the space shuttle Atlantis, which was the 
        last space shuttle in the fleet of the Space Transportation System, and 
        the formal end of the Space Shuttle Program on August 31, 2011, the 
        United States lacked the domestic capability to launch astronauts to the 
        International Space Station (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``ISS'') from United States soil;
Whereas, following the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, the only method 
        for transporting astronauts of the United States to the ISS was to 
        purchase seats on the Soyuz spacecraft of Russia at a cost of 
        approximately $86,000,000 per seat;
Whereas, in 2011, NASA began investing money in what would become the Commercial 
        Crew Program to stimulate efforts within the private sector to aid in 
        the development and demonstration of safe, reliable, and cost-effective 
        crew transportation capabilities to replace the Space Transportation 
        System;
Whereas, in August 2012, NASA awarded funding to 3 participants under the 
        Commercial Crew Program, the Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation, 
        and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (referred to in this 
        preamble as ``SpaceX''), for the commercial development of fully 
        integrated crew transportation capabilities;
Whereas, in September 2014, NASA completed the down selection process and 
        awarded contracts under the Commercial Crew Program to 2 participants, 
        the Boeing Company and SpaceX, for commercially built and operated 
        integrated crew transportation systems;
Whereas, on January 19, 2020, NASA and SpaceX completed the launch escape 
        demonstration of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Falcon 9 rocket, 
        which was the final major flight test of the Crew Dragon spacecraft 
        before a demonstration flight to the ISS with astronauts from the United 
        States;
Whereas, on May 30, 2020, Robert L. Behnken and Douglas G. Hurley became the 
        first astronauts from the United States to launch to the ISS on a rocket 
        of the United States from United States soil since STS-135 on July 8, 
        2011;
Whereas Douglas G. Hurley had also served on the crew of STS-135 as the pilot;
Whereas, on May 31, 2020, Robert L. Behnken and Douglas G. Hurley arrived safely 
        at the ISS, docking the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the Harmony module of 
        the ISS and joining Expedition 63 as crew members;
Whereas, on August 1, 2020, Robert L. Behnken and Douglas G. Hurley departed the 
        ISS after spending 2 months as crew members of Expedition 63;
Whereas, on August 2, 2020, the Crew Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down off 
        the coast of Florida;
Whereas the successful completion of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 test flight marks a 
        new chapter in human space exploration by transporting astronauts on a 
        commercially built and operated spacecraft of the United States for the 
        first time; and
Whereas the continued leadership of the United States in space and space 
        exploration is vital for--

    (1) both the national security and economic prosperity of the United 
States and the friends and allies of the United States; and

    (2) the continued development and exploration of space for the benefit 
of humankind: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates the men and women of the Commercial Crew 
        Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
        (referred to in this resolution as ``NASA'') and Space 
        Exploration Technologies Corporation (referred to in this 
        resolution as ``SpaceX'') and astronauts Robert L. Behnken and 
        Douglas G. Hurley on the successful completion of the Crew 
        Dragon Demo-2 test flight;
            (2) honors the men and women of SpaceX and the Commercial 
        Crew Program of NASA, who worked tirelessly to design, build, 
        and operate the Crew Dragon spacecraft;
            (3) recognizes the contributions of all of the 
        administrators, astronauts, engineers, scientists, and support 
        staff--
                    (A) who helped reach the milestone of the 
                successful completion of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 test 
                flight; and
                    (B) whose dedication and continued efforts will 
                ensure the continued leadership of the United States in 
                space;
            (4) recognizes that NASA, through its programs of human 
        space exploration, including Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, the Space 
        Shuttle Program, the International Space Station, and the 
        Commercial Crew Program, has inspired and continues to inspire 
        generations of children to become engineers, scientists, and 
        explorers, which has led the United States to maintain its 
        precedent of leadership in human space exploration; and
            (5) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to human space 
        exploration for the benefit of humankind.
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