[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 102 (Thursday, July 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7702-S7703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATION OF EXPLORERS

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the men and women 
whose work contributes to our nation's great space program. Their 
contributions have made the first seventeen days of the month of July a 
high point of public interest and enthusiasm. I would like to share 
with my colleagues some observations of these contributions.
  Earlier this week, I visited NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in 
Huntsville, AL, and spent a few minutes talking with three of the 
astronauts on board of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Members of my staff 
viewed their launch on July 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 
It was another great launch and another great milestone for Columbia 
and our shuttle program. In case you missed the landing on CNN, 
Columbia returned safely to Earth at approximately 7:15 a.m. this 
morning. While in orbit, the crew conducted world class research in 
areas which are so critical to our future success in the global 
economy--biotechnology, materials science, and combustion research. 
This research is vitally important, and here is why:
  It is hard to understate the importance of the biotechnology research 
when you consider the hundreds of proteins in the human body. We 
currently understand the structure of about 1 percent of these 
proteins. If scientists can decipher the exact structure of a protein, 
they can determine how it works with other proteins to perform a 
specific function. For example, by studying a protein that is part of a 
virus, they can learn how that virus attacks plants or animals. To do 
this, however, scientists must grow near-perfect crystals of that 
protein. While some can be done quite easily on

[[Page S7703]]

Earth, some are distorted by gravity. During Columbia's mission, 
protein growth experiments grew large quantities of various proteins. 
These experiments are designed to improve our knowledge and lead to 
breakthroughs in diabetes, bronchial asthma, AIDS, various kinds of 
inflammation, and Chagas disease, a disease affecting 20 million people 
worldwide but most prevalent in Latin America and making its way into 
the United States.
  Materials science has unlimited potential. Historically, mankind's 
development has been tied to the development of new materials since the 
dawn of time--the ``Stone Age'', the ``Iron Age'', the ``Bronze Age.'' 
As humanity matures into the ``space age,'' the need for new materials 
is as important and evolutionary as ever. The key to materials science 
research is understanding how the structure of a material forms and how 
this structure affects the properties of the material. On Earth, 
sedimentation and buoyancy cause uneven mixing of the ingredients of 
the material and can deform the structure as it solidifies. 
Imperfections in the structures of metals and alloys can affect 
mechanical strength or resistance to corrosion, while similar flaws in 
glasses and alloys can make them easier to crack or break. In 
microgravity, sedimentation and buoyancy are reduced or eliminated, 
enabling investigators to learn how these factors affect the final 
structure of the material. The knowledge gained from the studies on 
board Columbia will be used to improve materials processing on earth. 
These are the materials which will allow us to chart the great unknowns 
of space in the decades ahead.
  The third area of world-class research was conducted in combustion, 
which accounts for approximately 85 percent of the world's energy 
production and a significant percentage of the world's atmospheric 
pollution. Combustion plays a key role in processes involved in ground 
transportation, spacecraft propulsion, aircraft propulsion, and 
hazardous waste disposal. However, despite many years of study, we have 
only a limited understanding of many fundamental combustion processes. 
The results from experiments in these areas will help NASA design 
engines for cleaner air and more fuel efficiency. Just a tenth of 1 
percent increase in the ability to burn fuel more efficiently can more 
than pay the cost of a shuttle mission and help keep the environment 
cleaner as well. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year on 
oil and every penny saved is a penny that stays right here in America.

  All of these experiments I just mentioned, Mr. President, were 
performed inside Spacelab, a joint venture of NASA and the European 
Space Agency. Investigators representing 32 universities, 12 commercial 
industries and five government agencies participated in the 33 
microgravity experiments in Spacelab. This mission was a bridge between 
the activities currently possible on Spacelab and those of a much 
longer duration but with similar international cooperation that will 
take place on International Space Station.
  This mission caused no great fanfare like the Mars mission is 
continuing to cause. Like many of you, I greatly enjoyed watching the 
coverage of the landing of the Pathfinder with my family over the 
Fourth of July weekend. I felt a special pride at this event. The Mars 
mission is a uniquely American accomplishment and has captured the 
imagination and attention of the world. I look forward to the day when 
the United States sends a manned mission to Mars. America must continue 
to be a nation of explorers, carrying out the traditions of discovery 
embodied by Lewis and Clark, and the other great explorers. So much 
depends on our leadership and the dedication of thousands of men and 
women working on projects large and small that will lead us to new 
frontiers in space.
  This morning, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin addressed the Republican 
Freshman Caucus. We discussed with him many of NASA's visionary 
projects and the future need for the International Space Station as a 
bridge to future exploration. On the Space Station, NASA will learn how 
to keep astronauts safe and healthy for long periods of time. They will 
learn how to shield astronauts from radiation. They will learn more 
about how to combat the bone loss astronauts experience after they have 
been in orbit for just a short period of time. And they will learn how 
to deal with medical problems, such as blood loss, a virus or bacterial 
infection, and surgical procedure. These are all things that we must be 
prepared for if we are to send men and women in space for long periods 
of time. Mr. Goldin praised astronaut Michael Foale, our astronaut 
abroad the Mir space station, as a true American hero. Foale is 
demonstrating to the world that U.S. astronauts are prepared to deal 
with adversity and hardship. He stressed that our children are seeing a 
drama in real time that is as fascinating to them as the drama we 
followed aboard Apollo 13 many years ago. Mr. Goldin assured us, 
however, that he has three teams examining the safety factors of the 
Mir and that all must sign off before any more U.S. astronauts are 
placed on board. He has confidence in the crew and confidence in the 
Mir, he strongly believes we must stay the course.
  Each Senator in attendance received a copy of the first photograph to 
be returned from Mars. I understand Mr. Goldin will be sending one to 
each Member of this body. He also proudly stated that NASA's Internet 
site on this mission has received over 300 million hits during its 
first five days, breaking all records for an Internet site. This 
mission has united the world in its interest. It has sparked the 
imagination of a new generation of space adventurers, and only time 
will tell how far they will go.
  In conclusion, Mr. President, I believe the Mars mission symbolizes 
the very best of America. It transcends politics and demonstrates the 
cutting edge technology that has made our Nation the forerunner in 
space exploration. This is truly the way we want the world to see us, 
isn't it? Space is the key to the image and the future of this nation 
in the 21st century and beyond. We must have national leadership, a 
keen vision, clear-cut goals, and a strong commitment from this and the 
Congresses to follow. We must be willing to pay the price necessary to 
realize our dreams and the dreams and goals of our children. Where will 
we be in just 20 years from now? Mr. Goldin and his employees at NASA 
have the vision that will take us beyond the fringe of the universe 
and, along the way, will provide untold benefits for mankind.
  We are indeed a nation of adventurers and the crew of Columbia, the 
scientists at JPL and U.S. astronaut Michael Foale are setting the 
azimuth and cutting the trail for us to follow. The question is ``Will 
we heed the signs and run the risks to get to the other side?'' I 
believe our nation is ready for that challenge and will meet it in 
every way.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.

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