[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 158 (Thursday, November 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S11932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO KEVIN P. POWER, NASA FELLOW

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to recognize and say 
farewell to an outstanding NASA Manager, Kevin P. Power, upon his 
departure from my staff. Mr. Power was selected as a Congressional 
Fellow to work in my office because of his knowledge of the aerospace 
industry, NASA programs, and the John C. Stennis Space Center in my 
home State of Mississippi. It is a privilege for me to recognize the 
many outstanding achievements he has provided for the U.S. Senate, 
NASA, and our great Nation.
  During his NASA fellowship, Mr. Power worked on legislation affecting 
NASA and the aerospace industry. He worked hard to ensure that the NASA 
appropriations bill for fiscal year 2002 included legislative 
provisions that will support specific programs aimed at fostering the 
development of a robust U.S. space propulsion industry, which includes 
rocket engine testing at Stennis Space Center. Specifically, he helped 
ensure that NASA's rocket engine test facilities are ready to provide 
continued support for testing under NASA's Space Launch Initiative.
  Mr. Power also worked to ensure that adherence to past legislative 
provisions affecting land remote sensing data buys are being met to 
continue the stimulation of a private sector remote sensing industry 
without competition from the U.S. Government.
  Mr. Power graduated from the University of New Orleans, where he 
received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, prior 
to beginning his engineering career with the U.S. Navy in Annapolis, 
MD, as a civilian engineer working on submarine acoustics. He 
transitioned to an aerospace career as a contract engineer supporting 
Space Shuttle launches at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and 
then joined NASA shortly after the Shuttle's return to flight following 
the Challenger disaster.
  As a project engineer with NASA, he supported various propulsion 
development programs at Stennis Space Center, including the Air Force's 
New Launch System, NASA's Advanced Solid Rocket Motor, the NASA/Air 
Force National Aerospace Plane, and the NASA X-33 Aerospike Engine. 
During this time he attended Florida Tech, where he received a Master 
of Science in Management degree and eventually transitioned to a job 
with more responsibilities as a NASA project manager for Boeing's 
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle and NASA's Rocket Based Combined 
Cycle test facility.
  Mr. President, Mr. Power is married to the former Susan Foreman of 
Crowley, LA. They have two children, a 7-year-old-son Brandon and a 5-
year-old daughter Madison, and are expecting their third child next 
year in March. Mr. Power will return to NASA Stennis Space Center to 
continue his endeavors in the area of rocket propulsion testing. I will 
truly miss his experience and assistance he has provided to me, and I 
wish him all the very best as he helps NASA advance its efforts in the 
areas of space propulsion and remote sensing in the 21st century.

                          ____________________