[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 20, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8895-S8899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 46, 
submitted earlier today by Senators Shelby and Sessions.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 46) expressing the 
     sense of Congress that the July 20, 1999, 30th anniversary of 
     the first lunar landing should be a day of celebration and 
     reflection on the Apollo-11 mission to the Moon and the 
     accomplishments of the Apollo program throughout the 1960's 
     and 1970's.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise today to offer a few thoughts 
about space, the vision that is needed to take us there, and to say a 
few words of appreciation on the anniversary of one of the greatest 
accomplishments in world history. First, I recognize and thank all the 
people--scientists, flight operations experts, administrators, 
maintenance experts, astronauts, and every other member of the NASA 
team and Apollo program--who worked so hard to make the successful 
launch and mission of Saturn V to the moon a reality and victory for 
America.
  When President Kennedy announced his intentions to devote the 
resources and support to NASA that would be necessary to accomplish the 
monumental task of landing men on the surface of the moon, our space 
program was born. Up until that magnificent moment when Neil Armstrong 
let everyone watching and listening know that the ``Eagle had Landed'' 
and for many years afterward, our space program flourished and steamed 
ahead making great strides in nearly every area of space exploration. 
Unfortunately, in recent years, while marked by continuing and 
important scientific medical research and several noteworthy events, 
our space program has become stagnant in comparison to the growing and 
vibrant NASA of the past. I am one member of Congress who feels very 
strongly that too much remains to be learned and explored for our space 
program to remain in neutral any longer.
  Mr. President, on the anniversary of one of our greatest 
accomplishments, we have slipped dangerously close to the edge. If we 
do not act, we may lose one or more of the most historically 
significant pieces of our space program in existence. I am proud to say 
that one of the last three of these great artifacts remaining from the 
Apollo Project--the Saturn V rocket--stands on the grounds of the U.S. 
Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. But the fact remains 
that this rocket is in need of restoration and protection. I join my 
colleague and fellow Alabamian, Senator Shelby, as an original 
cosponsor of the resolution that has been introduced which calls upon 
the Congress to provide federal assistance to fund the much-needed 
restoration and protection projects for the Saturn V rocket at the U.S. 
Space and Rocket Center. This funding will enable this great monument 
to our space program to live on as an enduring symbol of America's 
greatness both here on earth and beyond. I call on my colleagues in 
Congress to lend the assistance that is needed to protect the great 
history of our space program.
  Mr. President, as I stated earlier, I am one member of Congress who 
believes that NASA embodies many of the most important qualities of our 
nation. We are a nation of explorers and inventors--proud, hardworking 
and brave. Our legacy as a nation is one of unmatched proportion. We 
must do our part to continue to build upon the past for the benefit of 
our future generations.
  Mr. President, safe, reliable, low-cost transportation has been the 
key to the development of frontiers from the dawn of time. Ocean-going 
vessels enabled the discovery of the New World and initiated global 
commerce. The stagecoach transported early settlers and cargo across 
the untamed American West, and the transcontinental railway opened up 
this new frontier to vast numbers of settlers. Today, modern airways 
are a critical element of international commerce.
  Transportation has made it possible to explore and develop the 
frontiers that emerged throughout history. Thirty years ago it was a 
Saturn V rocket carrying three men to the moon. And now, transportation 
is again the driver as we boldly prepare to explore deeper and develop 
the largest frontier of all - the frontier of space.
  As a nation of explorers, I would like to think that we see the 
opportunities for scientific research and new space industries as 
limitless in scope and benefit to mankind.
  Consider the possibilities:
  Manufacturing medicines that are far superior to drugs made on Earth.
  Even today the work that is being lead by NASA and its Marshall Space 
Flight Center, in particular, in Microgravity Research is paying 
tremendous dividends. Already this research is saving lives. The 
research that will be conducted on the International Space Station will 
take us even farther.
  Consider the possibility of Mining resources from orbiting bodies, or 
servicing large communications and remote sensing platforms in low 
earth orbit without bringing them back to Earth.
  Consider: Generating cheap, clean power from the Sun, or exploring 
new worlds and safely, routinely and affordably transporting passengers 
to and from space.
  It all sounds like science fiction today and it is because the 
current high cost of space transportation has locked the door to these 
opportunities. I believe that NASA is ready to start turning science 
fiction into science reality--to unlock the door to a new frontier of 
opportunity.
  The problem is this, space launch is not fully and completely 
reliable as we want it to be and its costs have been very expensive. 
Current launch costs consume valuable NASA resources and limit the 
ability to achieve its science and exploration goals. Only the highest 
priority science payloads are being launched and human exploration is 
on hold until we can solve this problem of launch costs.
  Launch costs have also slowed the commercial development of space. 
While the U.S. space program faces new challenges to its decades long, 
global leadership position, the U.S. commercial space launch industry 
has dwindled from complete market dominance in the mid-1970's to only 
30% on a greatly expanded worldwide market today. The United States has 
lost 70% of market share to the Russians, to the French, and to the 
Chinese. Several factors including foreign government subsidization and 
the constant optimization of 30 year old technology by foreign firms 
are at the heart of a problem this Congress ought to solve--now!
  While improvement and evolution of existing systems and technologies 
are necessary in the face of ever increasing competition abroad, it 
will take a revolution to open the space frontier and enable the 
development of space. Our investments in launch technology have been 
sporadic over the years, resulting in high costs and small, incremental 
improvements in launch safety and capability. Today, many entrepreneurs 
realize the significance of the expanding commercial space marketplace, 
but are left to solve the hard problem of access to low Earth orbit 
with just their innovative spirit and today's technology.
  We have had a rash of failures of expendable launch vehicles 
recently; 6 of the last 8 launches have been failures. Still, NASA 
continues to fly the Space Shuttle safely. But that safety record comes 
at a high cost to the people at United Space Alliance, NASA Kennedy, 
Marshall, and Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC).
  Space launch is expensive because of complex systems that require 
extensive checkout and human intervention. Small margins result in 
high maintenance and replacement. Flight hardware reuse is limited. 
Launch facilities

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and range safety operations are out of date.

  Achieving simplicity and robust performance has never been achieved 
in space launch. NASA has taken the brute force approach to beating 
Earth's gravity by expending hardware during ascent; or they have 
shaved weight and squeezed the last fraction of a percent of 
performance from the propulsion systems--gaining performance at the 
expense of simplicity and robustness.
  I have talked to the people at NASA Marshall. They have lived with 
the Shuttle propulsion systems and they have a lot of ideas that will 
make the next generation 100 times safer and 10 times cheaper than 
today; and their ideas don't stop there! They believe that, in 25 
years, they can develop the technology that will improve safety over 
10,000 times and reduce cost by 100 times that of the current Shuttles. 
I believe that the people at Marshall Space Flight Center, in 
cooperation with Stennis Space Center and the Glenn Research Center as 
well as other NASA scientists, can revolutionize space propulsion in 
the next 25 years. NASA administrator Dan Goldin shares this same view.
  They believe that they can combine simplicity and with a robust 
capability that will increase reliability 100 fold while multiple abort 
options and safe crew escape systems will provide passenger safety 
equivalent to today's aircraft. They believe that they can develop the 
technology that will result in what they are calling ``a beautiful 
machine,'' safe and reliable first, then affordable. This marriage of 
simplicity and performance can only be obtained through major 
breakthroughs in space transportation technology at the basic component 
and system level.
  Mr. President, it is a top priority of NASA to develop innovative 
space transportation technologies for commerce, civil space travel and 
the defense of the nation. This is not a might do task, but a must do 
task if this nation is to once again lead the way in space exploration.
  Unlike the prior generation, our generation has not invested in a 
future of space exploration. Let's step back in time about 50 years. 
America and Russia were on separate paths to launch a satellite into 
orbit around the Earth. The Space Age had begun. In a laboratory at the 
University of Pennsylvania stood the world's first general purpose 
computer--the ENIAC. Spanning 150 feet and weighing 30 tons, ENIAC's 
twenty banks of flashing lights indicated the results of fourteen ten-
digit multiplication processes in one second. It was one hundred times 
faster than a mechanical calculator, enabled by 18,000 water-cooled 
vacuum tubes. Tubes blew and were replaced several times an hour, but 
they ushered in the electronic age.
  Only 7 years after the invention of the transistor, the first 
silicon-based transistorized computer was developed. Four years later a 
practical integrated circuit was the genesis for printing conducting 
channels directly on silicon surfaces. Less than twenty-five years 
after the development of ENIAC, Intel introduced the first 
microprocessor, using 2,300 transistors on a 108 Kilo Hertz silicon 
chip. The U.S., at that time, was just beginning the development of the 
Space Shuttle.

  In the 28 years since, the number of transistors on a single chip has 
increased from 2,300 to 7.5 million and the number of instructions per 
second has increased more than 3,000 times. The processor capacity has 
increased at a rate of a factor of two every 18 to 24 months and the 
cost per kilobyte of computer memory has decreased by a factor of 
640,000. Today over 44% of U.S. homes have a personal computer. The 
Space Shuttle is still the workhorse for human space flight and remains 
the only reusable launch system.
  Today it is impossible to think of a world without computers or to 
imagine that the ideas we developed and that we take for granted might 
have been strenuously resisted in the past. And while it seems barely 
credible today that scientists, engineers, and businessmen five decades 
ago didn't initially grasp the implication of this new technology--this 
has been the case more often than not throughout history.
  Now let's look forward in time. Imagine a world where traveling to an 
orbiting space production facility is as common as making a business 
trip on a commercial airliner? Does this seem plausible? How probable 
did personal palmtop computers seem fifty years ago? Technology was the 
engine that enabled these breakthroughs--technology will enable safe, 
reliable, affordable access to space over the next twenty-five years. I 
believe that we will see major steps toward this goal in the next 5 to 
10 years if we invest now.
  Over the next decade, NASA intends to increase safety by a hundred 
fold while reducing cost tenfold. Safety will be defined as the 
probability of a catastrophic failure once out of every 1,000,000 
flights. This dramatic leap will come by departing from a past emphasis 
on cost and performance to a focused new paradigm of safety and 
reliability, which in turn, will drive down costs. Improvements in 
safety will require future space transportation systems to assure crew 
safety from pre-launch to landing. To accomplish this, launch systems 
must be inherently reliable, functionally redundant wherever practical 
and designed to minimize or eliminate catastrophic failure modes. Next 
generation systems will have the ability to complete their missions 
with at least one engine failure from liftoff. Designs will minimize 
the opportunity for human error in test, checkout and operations. By 
incorporating a crew escape capability for all flights and reducing the 
number of launch elements, NASA will be able to meet their safety 
goals.
  In this time-frame, launch costs will fall from current levels of 
$10,000 to $1,000 per pound to low earth orbit. In order to achieve 
this ambitious cost goal, today's multi-stage, partial and fully 
expendable rockets must be replaced by single stage, fully reusable 
systems. A single stage to orbit Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) can 
eliminate assembly and checkout costs currently associated with the 
large number of complex interfaces on today's Space Shuttle. Full 
reusability will eliminate the need to throw away expensive hardware 
and reduce the need for ongoing production, but a key technology will 
be the manufacturing technology to build large, very lightweight, 
composite propellant tanks and structures. The expertise that will make 
these lightweight structures possible is the current Shuttle tank 
production facility at Michoud, Louisiana.
  Systems in 10 years will have to accommodate hundreds of missions per 
year and will be commercially certified for hundreds of flights.
  This level of cost reduction has the potential to enable new, 
nontraditional uses of space. Taking this vital first step is 
comparable to the first 25 years in the development of the 
microprocessor when computer processors went from millions of dollars 
to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  Over the next 25 years more dramatic improvements will be enabled by 
an all flight crew escape system and horizontal takeoff, which allows 
the vehicle to abort its takeoff after reaching maximum power--much 
like an aircraft. Costs will fall to $100 per pound for low earth orbit 
missions. This low price per flight will create a 15-fold increase in 
the size of the current projected space launch market. This larger 
market will, in-turn, enable this system to be developed independent of 
U.S. Government financial support. The number of flights per year will 
jump to over 2,000, which will require certification for thousands of 
flights.
  Future generations of space travel will be almost as routine as 
commercial air travel today. The passenger risk will be reduced to 1 
fatality per 2,000,000 flights at a cost of $10 per pound to orbit. 
Crew escape will be eliminated as system reliability matures. In forty 
years, true Spaceliners will be capable of satisfying a market demand 
over 10,000 missions per year--acheiving near airline-like life 
certification.
  Doubling and tripling the structural margin will require us to move 
beyond traditional rocket engine cycles to a combined air-breathing 
rocket cycle. These new propulsion systems could allow space vehicles 
to takeoff horizontally like an airplane. These air-breathing vehicles 
will provide greater opportunities to return to earth from orbit--a key 
requirement for routine commercial package delivery and military 
priorities. The technologies required for these systems will truly 
marry the best of the aeronautics and space communities.
  The large increase in flights per year will demand that current 
operations

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and maintenance procedures be revolutionized. Unlike the current 
shuttle, which requires over 5 months to process with several thousand 
personnel, the next generation of systems will be turned around in one 
week with less than one hundred personnel. In contrast to the rigorous 
tear-downs and inspections required for the Space Shuttle's subsystems, 
the next generation vehicle's on-board health monitoring systems will 
tell the ground crews which systems need replacement before landing. 
Due to modern computer and display technologies, the number of 
personnel required on launch day will be reduced from 170 to about 10. 
An automated mission planning system will enable changes in payload and 
weather to be factored in less than twenty-four hours. The payload will 
be processed off-line and integrated into the vehicle the day prior to 
launch. Range safety will be accomplished using the Global Positioning 
System, reducing the number of personnel to a handful. Upon landing, 
the vehicle will, various ways, automatically restore itself, requiring 
minimal human intervention.

  In twenty-five years, vehicles will be re-flown within one day and in 
forty years, within several hours with crews numbering less than ten. 
Fully automated ground processing systems will require only a handful 
of personnel to launch the vehicle. Due to the increased intelligence 
of on-board systems, only cursory walk-around inspections will be 
required between flights. Payloads will be fully containerized and 
loaded hours before flight. Range safety will be replaced by Aerospace 
Traffic Control Centers scattered around the globe, passively 
monitoring the multiple flights using commercial broadcast towers.
  Today we've imagined our boundless future of space exploration on 
safe, affordable space transportation.
  But, stop to think what our future will be if we don't develop the 
fundamental technological building blocks. To realize these ambitious 
goals, we must provide consistent funding for our technology programs 
over the next several decades.
  What will inspire the next generation of Americans? We must not kill 
the spirit of the Lewis and Clark's among us. Our next great adventure 
is the exploration and development of space! If we continue to cut 
corners on our financial commitment without conquering this tremendous 
challenge of making space travel safe and affordable for ordinary 
people, we will stunt the pioneer spirit that brands us all as 
Americans.
  NASA has accepted the responsibility for pushing technology because 
this is vitally important for our nation. The nation must focus 
resources on accelerated technology development if we are to remain the 
worldwide technology leader. We will drive the technology breakthroughs 
necessary to sustain and enhance U.S. military capabilities. Our 
Nation's defense in very dynamic times must rely on cutting-edge space 
launch technologies to protect our borders.
  But low-cost space transportation is not just about surviving. It is 
about thriving economically. Our wildest dreams of doing business on 
the space frontier surely don't even begin to skim the surface of the 
incredible economic opportunities waiting beyond the horizon.

  Today, the X-33 and X-34 programs are making significant strides, 
taking us towards these goals and will provide us with new benchmarks 
in how to develop and operate modern reusable launch systems. Today, I 
want to salute NASA's goals and dreams. They are the same ones that 
took Apollo 11 to the Moon 30 years ago. They should be ours as well; 
to develop and demonstrate in flight the required technologies to win 
the promise of flights to low earth orbit for $100 per pound, with a 
10,000 times increase over today's safety levels.
  Mr. President, I also want to endorse NASA's approach of ``build a 
little, test a little, fly a little'' by performing rigorous ground 
testing. I believe it is imperative to move forward with our X-34 sized 
flight demonstrations within the next 5 years.
  We are at a defining moment in the development of space. The key is 
making space transportation affordable for ordinary people. Through 
innovative technology development, NASA will lead our nation as we 
unlock the door to the final frontier. I call on all my colleagues, and 
indeed the citizens of our great land, to give them our support. Let us 
return to a time when we made our dreams a reality--let us return to 
being a nation of explorers.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, thirty years ago today human beings first 
set foot the surface of the Moon. The Apollo 11 landing was an 
unprecedented accomplishment, one that marked the culmination of a 
national commitment to space exploration initiated by President 
Kennedy.
  As many of my colleagues will remember, our country's space program 
was a child of the Cold War. In many ways, our rivalry with the Soviet 
Union in space was the primary impetus for the Apollo Program. The 
Soviets launched the first artificial satellite. They put the first man 
in space. They achieved the first space walk. Thirty years ago, we were 
intent on responding to those milestones by putting the first man on 
the Moon. As then Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson said, ``I, for 
one, don't intend to go to sleep by the light of a Communist moon.''
  Today there is no Cold War, no unifying theme around which to rally 
our space program. Yet our exploration of space remains as important 
today as it was three decades ago. History tells us that those nations 
which developed the frontier prospered. Space is the latest frontier.
  Mr. President, if I am not mistaken, the Chinese character for 
``crisis'' is the same as that for ``opportunity.'' As our nation 
recalls the triumph of Apollo, we face both crisis and opportunity in 
our space program.
  On May 25th, the Cox Commission reported multiple instances of 
sensitive American nuclear and missile technology falling into the 
hands of the People's Republic of China. It identified the lack of a 
sufficient United States commercial space launch capacity--a problem 
that has sent launch business to nations like China--as one of the 
reasons for this transfer of information.
  The numbers tell an alarming story. Though nearly 70% of the world's 
commercial satellites are assembled in the United States, less than 45 
percent are launched from our shores. Because more than 60 U.S. 
satellites have been approved for export to launch from Russia, the 
Ukraine, and China since 1995, U.S. rocket manufacturers and their vast 
supplier network have lost approximately $2.4 billion in direct 
revenues--a figure that doesn't include American satellite launches by 
the powerful European Arainespace Consortium.
  Why are we losing out to other nations? One reason is cost. As 
scientist and author Gregg Easterbrook pointed out in the June 2, 1998 
edition of the New York Times, companies that launch satellites aboard 
American space vehicles can expect to pay between $10,000 and $12,000 
per pound. Nations like China--where government partially subsidizes 
the cost of satellite launches--can offer the same services for half 
the cost.
  A second reason for our nation's declining share of commercial space 
launches is the relatively small number of available launch vehicles in 
the United States. From 1977 to 1986, the space shuttle was the only 
spacecraft authorized to carry satellites into orbit. That nearly ten-
year hiatus in American rocket development gave a huge advantage to 
nations that used that time to build and improve the Russian Proton, 
European Ariane, and Chinese Long March rockets.
  Last fall, I joined Senator Connie Mack (R-FL), U.S. Representative 
Dave Weldon (R-FL), members of the House Science and Senate Commerce 
Committees, and a broad, bipartisan coalition in tackling these 
problems through the enactment of the Commercial Space Act. That 
legislation took steps to create a stable business environment for the 
U.S. commercial space industry, while simultaneously making the 
government's use of space technology more efficient and saving 
taxpayers millions of dollars. Even better, it did not add new federal 
regulations or raise taxes by so much as a penny. President Clinton 
signed it into law on October 28, 1998.
  The Commercial Space Act will help to address the cost and capacity 
problems that have plagued our nation's

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commercial space industry. For example, it breaks the federal 
government's monopoly on space travel and encourages launch options 
that might lower costs. Until the passage of this legislation, the 
space shuttle was the only American craft authorized to both leave and 
re-enter our planet's atmosphere. Commercial companies that have an 
interest in providing repeat services to their customers might benefit 
from the same principle of reusability that powers Columbia, Discovery, 
Atlantis, and Endeavor.
  In addition, our legislation helps to mitigate the United States' 
dearth of launch vehicles by allowing the conversion of excess 
ballistic missiles into space transportation carriers. International 
arms control agreements have rendered these missiles useless for 
national defense, and the hundreds in storage eat up close to $10 
million a year. Replacing their nuclear warheads with scientific and 
educational payloads will give the United States a practical, low-cost 
method for putting satellites into orbit.
  But more and less expensive rockets will do little to erase other 
nations' competitive advantage if the United States does not have the 
infrastructure needed to launch them. That's why a similar bipartisan 
coalition recently introduced the Spaceport Investment Act. This 
legislation would make the financing of spaceport construction and 
renovation 100% tax-free--an innovation that could spur private 
investment in the important task of building and modernizing our 
nation's space launch facilities.
  While airports, high speed rail, seaports, mass transit, and other 
transportation projects can raise money through tax-exempt bonds, 
spaceports do not currently enjoy such favorable tax treatment. This 
amounts to a glaring omission in federal policy. Airlines, cruise, and 
shipping lines could not exist without airports and seaports. In the 
same fashion, state-administered spaceports provide vital incentives 
for space-related economic growth by supplementing the launch 
infrastructure already provided by the federal government.
  My home state offers tangible proof of spaceports' value to the 
commercial space industry. Since its creation in 1989, Spaceport 
Florida has facilitated more than $100 million in space-related 
construction and investment projects. This includes the modification 
and conversion of Launch Complex 46 from a military to a commercial 
space facility.
  Virginia, Alaska, and California also host spaceports, and ten other 
states--Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, 
North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah--are considering their 
establishment. We must take advantage of this opportunity to make the 
public and private sectors partners in the effort to build badly needed 
launch sites around the nation.
  The Commercial Space Act and Spaceport Investment Act will boost the 
effort to recapture space business in the United States. But these 
legislative initiatives must be part of a larger solution. In the 
coming months, I will be exploring the idea of a National Space Summit 
that brings together lawmakers, federal and state space administrators, 
business leaders, and academic representatives with the goal of 
launching a united effort to revitalize our commercial space industry 
and reverse our rapidly declining share of space launches.
  Mr. President, while we recognize the historical significance of 
today's date, we must not let the accomplishments of the past dilute 
our focus on the future. My proposal is an innovative and efficient 
method for encouraging private and public cooperation in the important 
goal of revitalizing our national reach for the stars.
  I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join us in this important 
effort to repave our pathways to outer space. This would be a fitting 
tribute to the brave pioneers who landed on the Moon thirty years ago 
today. Those early explorers sacrificed much for our nation's 
commitment to space exploration. Just yesterday, one of these pioneers, 
Apollo 12 Commander Pete Conrad, was buried in Arlington National 
Cemetary. Let us produce a lasting memorial to these astronaut heroes 
by rededicating ourselves to their cause.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, today I rise to join my colleagues in a 
tribute to the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Thirty years 
ago today, our nation was launched into the lead of a global space 
race. Not only was this an important step for our nation, it was an 
important step for America in the Cold War--a war waged in 
technological and economic terms rather than on the front lines of the 
battlefield. A war in which America later claimed victory during 
President Reagan's administration.
  The Apollo 11 mission played a role in that victory. The famous 
words, ``one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind'' was more 
than appropriate. It was one of the highlights of NASA and during the 
pinnacle of the agency's existence. On the morning of July 16, 1969, 
the mission's Saturn V rocket was launched from the Kennedy Space 
Center, landing on the moon four days later. On board with Neil 
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was Michael Collins, who piloted the command 
module while his comrades used a landing craft, the Eagle, to make that 
historic visit to the lunar surface.
  The mission was a unifying event in an era when America was wracked 
by social protest and divided over the Vietnam War. People across the 
country, and around the world, sat glued to television sets as the 
Apollo crew did what was once thought impossible. The important 
achievement of Apollo demonstrated that humanity is not forever chained 
to this planet.
  Mr. President, I regret that the push for manned space flight has 
faded in the years since Apollo. I find it ironic, that 30 years after 
first going to the moon that children today are learning about space 
travel in history class, rather than science class.
  May 13, 2004, will mark the launch of the Corps of Discovery 
bicentennial. It was during this adventure that Meriwether Lewis and 
William Clark, along with a small band of men, set out on a voyage of 
exploration that was to earn them a place in America's history. Tasked 
with exploring a new and largely unknown world, Lewis and Clark opened 
the West and provided storytellers with a compelling, historic drama.
  Today, NASA's role in space exploration parallels the role of the 
Corps of Discovery. No other federal agency is faced with such 
intriguing and limitless boundaries. No other federal agency captivates 
the attention of school children around the nation.
  But NASA's obstacle is not a technology barrier--rather it is a 
barrier of financial abilities. Space activities require decades of 
planning. Short-term constraints of a political agenda do not address 
this necessity. It is not where we want to be next year, rather where 
we want to be 20 years from now. That is a blindness many politicians 
are hampered with.
  For the sixth year in a row, NASA's budget has declined while its 
productivity improves. We know what NASA is able to do. In the 1960s, 
the Saturn/Apollo program put a man on the moon. Only recently has the 
commercial sector approached NASA's heavy-lift capacities.
  Our nation's history is one of triumph and tragedy. We have rejoiced 
in NASA's success and mourned in its grief but the Apollo 11 mission 
was one of the greatest moments in our nation's history.
  I thank the Chair.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, thirty years ago Neil Armstrong took his 
historic first steps on the surface of the moon, fulfilling the dreams 
of his fellow astronauts, his country, and the entire human race. His 
``small step'' has inspired the following generations in a quest to 
explore the frontiers of space. Space travel has encouraged ingenuity 
that permeates American society. National Aeronautic and Space 
Administration (NASA) accomplishments have led to technological 
advancements utilized in everyday life, as well as increased math and 
science interest among school children, and the development of a multi-
billion dollar commercial space industry. While there are many benefits 
of space exploration, the United States still faces the challenge of 
developing a cost effective strategy to manage existing space programs. 
We should build on the legacy of Apollo II by forging ahead with both 
basic R&D and advanced future technologies in a cost effective and 
well-managed collaborative effort with private industry.

[[Page S8899]]

  The accomplishment three decades ago of the seemingly impossible task 
of sending a man to the moon led to a newly found confidence in the 
power of science. President Kennedy challenged America in 1961 to send 
a man to the moon, when many people believed it to be impossible. 
Within a decade, America had risen to the challenge by demonstrating 
their technological superiority over the rest of the world with Apollo 
11. Such a powerful display of technology is a catalyst of a cycle 
resulting in an increased standard of living for many Americans. The 
cycle begins as many young people are motivated to pursue science as an 
academic discipline. New scientific interest results in an increase in 
basic research funding at universities and corporations. The cycle is 
completed when advancements ranging from more comfortable mattresses to 
better radiation treatment for cancer patients begin to make their way 
into everyday life. Other emerging applications include agricultural 
remote sensing techniques, distance learning, and telemedicine. The 
increased productivity attributable to these applications will serve as 
a stimulus to the national economy.
  Commercial space launch is an entire industry that has stemmed from 
the application of technology in space. The broadcast, 
telecommunications, and weather industries all increasingly rely on 
satellites to provide the most effective services. The U.S. commercial 
launch industry had revenues totaling $2.4 billion dollars in 1997. 
This industry is projected to grow exponentially over the coming years. 
The Commerce Department estimates that over 1,700 satellites are 
expected to be launched over the next ten years--70% of which will come 
from the commercial industry. It is clear that if the United States is 
to remain the world's leader in this domain, we must begin now to 
modernize the Nation's space launch capacity. That means reviewing the 
state of our outdated launch vehicle technology, our costly 
infrastructure, and the financial insurance needs that are key to the 
growth of this industry.
  The immediate future of NASA lies in the International Space Station, 
an international cooperative effort to build a research facility in 
space. The International Space Station will provide a unique 
environment for research with the absence of gravity, allowing new 
insights into human health and disease treatments. However, this 
innovative research facility bears a price tax of approximately $100 
billion dollars to the American taxpayers. Although this program is a 
long-term investment which will bring discoveries unimaginable to 
today's scientists, it is our duty to protect the American taxpayers 
from unsatisfactory performance of the participating foreign partners, 
prime contractor, and program management. Congress must insist on 
further accountability from NASA in order to most effectively support 
this program. We should not allow delays in foreign components of the 
International Space Station to increase the burden on American 
citizens.
  On this day in 1969, Neil Armstrong knew that he was making an 
important first step. We have the responsibility of taking the next 
step by determining the future path for NASA and the space industry. 
Our efforts to reach the moon required a creative approach to a 
difficult challenge. In the spirit of the Apollo program, I call on 
NASA and policy makers to take a creative approach to ensuring fiscal 
responsibility while fostering the innovation that benefits every 
American.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise in support of the resolution 
submitted by Senator Shelby commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 
first lunar landing, an event that will be remembered as one of the 
most important events of our country and century. Americans remember 
the landing on the lunar surface not only with a sense of historical 
significance, but also with one of honor and pride in the 
accomplishment of the crew of Apollo 11 and the men and women of NASA 
who made it possible.
  This mission was conducted during a tumultuous time in our country's 
history. Sending a man to the moon forced us to marshal our country's 
vast talent and technological resources and to drive our creative 
energies to the breaking point. Apollo proved that necessity is the 
mother of invention. The Apollo mission required us to make quantum 
leaps in propulsion systems, airframe materials, electronics, and other 
scientific areas in an impossible amount of time.
  I congratulate Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, the late Michael Collins, 
and NASA for their courage to lead our country to the new world of 
space. While our accomplishments in space have continued, space still 
offers us a vast and unexplored frontier. America has been, and should 
remain a world leader in space research, technology, and exploration. 
It is on this 30th anniversary of the first lunar landing that America 
should renew its support for our space program and challenge ourselves 
once again as we begin a new century.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements 
relating to this resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 46) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 46

       Whereas the Apollo-11 mission successfully landed a manned 
     spacecraft on the Moon on July 20, 1969, marking the first 
     time in history that humans have walked on the surface of the 
     Moon or any other planet;
       Whereas the 6 Apollo missions successfully departed Earth 
     aboard a Saturn V Rocket, the largest and most powerful 
     American rocket ever produced, en route to the Moon;
       Whereas 12 Americans successfully landed on the surface of 
     the Moon where they performed various experiments and 
     collected samples for study, and planted the flag of the 
     United States of America in the lunar soil achieving a 
     milestone in American and human history;
       Whereas the contributions of other Americans who made up 
     the thousands of contractors and Government employees who 
     worked on the Apollo program are recognized; and
       Whereas the events of the Apollo missions are examples of 
     the great achievements of the American space program 
     reflecting the explorer's spirit of the American people: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the 30th 
     anniversary of the first lunar landing should be a day of 
     celebration and reflection on the Apollo-11 mission to the 
     Moon and the accomplishments of the Apollo program throughout 
     the 1960's and 1970's.

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