[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 54 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SPACE DAY AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO COLORADO

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                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 4, 2000

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I want to call attention to two 
important causes for celebration and reflection. First, today is Space 
Day. Here in Washington, Senator John Glenn, Sally Ride, NASA director 
Daniel Goldin, and others will gather to celebrate the achievements and 
opportunities that we have all realized through the exploration of 
space. The celebration also includes Space Day's third annual Webcast 
devoted to space, science, math, and technology, in which children all 
over the world will be able to participate. Space Day activities will 
also take place in Colorado and other states throughout the country.
  This week is also the tenth anniversary of the launch of NASA's 
Hubble Space Telescope. Although its early life was marked by 
controversy, the Hubble has become one of the most important 
astronomical study missions ever attempted. In 1993, shuttle astronauts 
installed lenses--made by Ball Aerospace, in my district in Colorado--
to correct the telescope's near-sighted vision. Since that time, 
Hubble's images have been nothing less than remarkable. Hubble itself 
has circled the Earth 58,000 times, made 271,000 observations, and 
generated 2,651 scientific papers. It has fulfilled its scientific 
missions to determine the age of the universe within a certain range, 
provide proof that massive black holes exist, and detect the farthest 
objects in the universe.
  Not only has the Hubble telescope made these extraordinary 
discoveries, but its images have also helped to broaden the appeal of 
space to all Americans. Pictures of exploding stars and a comet hitting 
Jupiter are just some that have engaged our imaginations and changed 
the way we think about the universe.
  I'm proud to note that Colorado and its 2d Congressional District in 
particular has played a significant role in this nation's space 
endeavor. But it has truly been a national endeavor, one that has 
benefited all Americans. I hope we will all take a moment today--Space 
Day--to reflect on how the advancement of science and space concerns us 
all.

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