[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 69 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1041]]


                    TRIBUTE TO CAPT. JERRY LINENGER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 1997

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on January 12, Capt. Jerry Linenger flew into 
orbit on the space shuttle Atlantis to begin a 5-month stay aboard the 
Russian Space Station Mir. This weekend, more than 130 days later, 
Atlantis is bringing Jerry Linenger home.
  It is with no small amount of hometown pride that we note that 
Captain Linenger was born and raised in Eastpointe, MI, which is split 
between our two congressional districts. He attended East Detroit High 
School and went on to receive a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval 
Academy. Thereafter, he earned a number of advanced degrees, including 
a doctorate in medicine from Wayne State University in Detroit. He 
joined NASA in 1992 and flew a mission on the space shuttle Discovery 2 
years later.
  Captain Linenger is the fourth U.S. astronaut to live aboard the Mir 
station. All of these missions are important, both in terms of their 
contributions to science as well as to the advancement of United 
States/Russian cooperation in space. This particular mission has 
resonated with many people because of a series of letters Captain 
Lingenger wrote to his 1-year-old son John, for him to read when he's 
older. Some of these letters have been published on NASA's Internet 
site with Captain Linenger's permission so the public could get a feel 
for his experience.
  These letters describe Captain Linenger's day-to-day activities 
aboard Mir, his early memories of his grandparents and his own 
experience growing up in Michigan, his fondness for geography, and his 
enthusiasm concerning the exploration of space. The constant theme 
through all these letters is his affection for his wife and son. We 
would like to highlight one of these letters:

       Dear John: Just received a note from Mommy--who said you've 
     really been a great little boy lately. Says that you are at 
     the age where you try to mimic everything anyone does. And 
     that you're laughing lots. And everyone thinks you are so 
     cute. Mommy agrees. Me too. You're the best, John.
       But the big news was that you had [your] first trip to the 
     corner park. Mommy says that the rocking horse was your 
     favorite, but you also did okay on your first swing ride.
       Alright, John. I can help you some on this. Some tips from 
     your Dad.
       Never get on a teeter totter with someone bigger than you.
       No matter how hard you try, you will never succeed at doing 
     a loop-the-loop on the swing.
       For added speed down the slide, find an old waxed potato 
     chip bag lying around (they are always blown against the 
     fence nearby), sit on the bag, and then slide down. After a 
     few times you'll really be moving, and all the girls will 
     hold you in awe.
       And talk about speed--your Daddy was really flying today! 
     Whizzed across Isla de Chiloe, the crest of the Ande (three 
     or four of the taller peaks still snowcapped), across 
     Patagonia and out Golfo San Jorge in two minutes flat. Del 
     Fuego in the distance. Clear. Spectacular.
       Maybe someday you'll be a geography nut like your father. 
     For now, just make sure you can find your way home from the 
     park.
       And John, pay serious attention to those books Mommy always 
     reads you at night. Keep those eyes open--don't go fading off 
     half way through the story like you usually do. If some day 
     you go on a trip like I'm on, you'll be trying tdraw on every 
     bit of information, every bit of training, every morsel of 
     practical stuff you've ever learned in your whole life in 
     order to succeed.
       Now that I think about it, they don't make waxed potato 
     chip bags anymore. Scratch that idea, John. Maybe it'll be 
     better to start off slowly and savor the ride all the way 
     down. . . . 
       Love you John. Tell Mommy that Daddy sure was happy to get 
     her note. And that I'm just fine.
                                                              Dad.

  The last 5 months have been eventful and challenging ones for the 
crew of Mir as they have confronted a series of equipment breakdowns 
aboard the space station, including a fire, high temperatures due to a 
carbon dioxide removal system that overheated, leaking fumes, and 
broken oxygen generators. Even so, from these letters, there is little 
doubt that the biggest challenge Captain Linenger faced was being 
absent from his 14-month-old son.
  We want to congratulate Captain Linenger on the successful completion 
of his mission and express our best wishes to him and his family.

                          ____________________