[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SALUTING NASA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 1997

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the excellent work 
being done by the scientists and engineers at the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration [NASA]. NASA is an extremely important public 
agency and its vast array of work including space, science, 
aeronautics, global environment, and education, benefits the Nation on 
a number of levels.
  Under the direction of Administrator Daniel Goldin, current NASA 
operations are both dynamic and productive. Mr. Goldin has been an 
agent of positive change and reform. Programs are being carried out 
faster and cheaper. His dedication to the international space station 
has promoted an atmosphere in which nations from around the world have 
been willing to work in partnership. His efforts in seeking the 
inclusion of the Russian space agency are particularly noteworthy. They 
demonstrate the impact that the space program can have on international 
relations, encouraging cooperation toward peace. A United States and 
Russian joint space program is something that could never have even 
been dreamed of when cold war divisions were prevalent. The program 
highlights the mutual interests and mutual benefits of peace shared by 
our two great nations.
  Of the many missions which NASA is currently working on, Mars 
Pathfinder, which landed on July 4, 1997, is the highlight. The mobile 
geological studies of Mars which are currently being carried out, are 
extremely innovative and educational. I would like to commend the 
brilliant scientists and engineers of NASA for the success of this 
mission.
  NASA's international space station [ISS], phase I, has sought to 
collaborate international efforts in order to place into orbit and 
monitor American astronauts in space.
  NASA's Mission to Planet Earth [MTPE] and the Earth Observing System 
[EOS] have provided, and are continuing to provide, key data on the 
Earth's global climate change. The program, designed by the talented 
engineers and staff of TRW, headquartered in the Cleveland area, 
endeavors to evaluate the interaction between the elements and the 
effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment. 
In the past the program has helped us to understand about the ozone 
layer and the effects and causes of destructive natural phenomena. At 
this time there are a number of scientific instruments aboard various 
spacecraft which are monitoring climatic trends.
  A driving force behind the success of NASA's missions is the work 
carried out by the Cleveland based Lewis Research Center [LeRC]. The 
Mars Pathfinder mission is one in which LeRC has an important role. The 
geological experiments being carried out by the Sojourner rover on Mars 
were formulated by LeRC scientists. The Lewis team is also a major 
participant in microgravity research. The near zero gravity 
experimentation has been successfully used over 80 times on 30 
different missions. Eleven NASA Lewis experiments are part of the 
microgravity science laboratory aboard the space shuttle. These 
experiments will be invaluable in providing a bridge between present 
operations and those operations to be conducted in the near future 
aboard the ISS.
  As impressive as all of these programs are, perhaps NASA's biggest 
achievement lies in the fact that all of the above has been conducted 
while reducing spending.
  The Appropriations Committee proposed a fiscal year 1998 budget of 
$13,648,000,000. As each fiscal year budget passes, projected NASA 
future spending shrinks. Productivity, however, has been maximized. The 
Earth Observing System program, for example, was in fiscal year 1991 
forecast by NASA to require $17 billion of public funds through the 
year 2000. In the fiscal year 1996 budget plan this projection had been 
reduced to $7.2 billion. NASA has managed to achieve more with less.
  One reason for the NASA success story is the cooperative interaction 
with commercial institutions and the links forged with their 
international counterparts. By collaborating with private sector 
organizations, NASA has been able to restructure certain of its 
operations while still achieving the desired results. For example, the 
technology generated by NASA in detecting and tracking tornadoes, has 
been used by commercial weather stations. Such links have produced a 
catalyst enabling more research and development to be undertaken.
  Mr. Speaker, NASA is the unparalleled world leader in space 
technology, enabling this country to maintain world leadership in 
science technology and in aeronautics research and in space 
exploration. I salute the thousands of NASA employees who help to make 
the program possible.

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