[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E29-E30]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ILC DOVER INC. AND ATK ELKTON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 21, 2004

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the recent 
accomplishments of ILC Dover Inc., located in Frederica, Delaware. ILC 
Dover has long been a partner in this country's space exploration 
efforts. From manufacturing space suits for the Apollo mission's to the 
moon to creating the air bag landing systems for the recent Mars 
rover's Spirit and Opportunity, the later of which is scheduled to land 
on the opposite side of Mars this weekend. I as well as the 400 
employees at ILC will be watching closely as the company's technology 
delivers Opportunity safely to the surface of Mars.
  As NASA's vision continues to change over time, ILC Dover has adapted 
their technologies to meet the challenges of these new missions. ILC's 
landing bags work much like your everyday passenger air bag in a car. 
The system surrounded and protected the rover Spirit as it bounced 30 
times before resting on the surface of Mars. These unmanned probes will 
scour the red planet's surface in an effort to discover any previous 
existence of life. These air bag systems were enhanced from those that 
ILC made for the earlier Pathfinder mission to Mars.
  ILC is very excited by the President's recent announcement that he 
plans to send Americans to Mars by establishing a permanent space 
station on the moon. ILC Dover has already begun testing their newest 
space suit, the ``I-suit'', which could be warn by those astronauts who 
will build the moon base. ILC has stated that they expect these suits 
would perform better, would cost less, and would be more comfortable, 
allowing crewmembers to perform their duties for longer periods of 
time.
  The company also manufactures products to meet the emerging homeland 
security, defense, and environmental challenges that our country faces. 
For example, they have begun production and sales of the Scape hood, a 
mask that protects civilian wearers from nuclear, biological and 
chemical warfare agents. The company currently manufactures the M40 gas 
masks donned by the U.S. Army. The federal government, state and local 
municipalities, and the corporate community have invested in their 
Vapor Guard product. These soft material covers are designed to contain 
odors and emissions within wastewater treatment tanks. These are just a 
few of the emerging technologies that the company is focused on.
  As part of the successful Mars Exploration Rover program, I would 
also like to acknowledge the important work of Alliant Tech Systems 
Inc. (ATK). ATK, based in Edina, Minnesota, is a $2.2 billion aerospace 
and defense company with strong positions in propulsion, composite 
structures, munitions, precision capabilities and civil and sporting 
ammunition. I will be touring their Elkton, Maryland, facility and will 
see first hand how ATK is partnering with NASA.
  The Elkton facility, which employs close to 100 Delawareans, is 
working on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover as well, the orbital space 
plane and other NASA missions. Specifically, ATK constructed the gas 
generators that inflated ILC Dover's airbags to cushion the rover's 
landings, as well as the rocket motors that slowed their decent.
  Besides their NASA work, ATK is also partnering with the Department 
of Defense to create Kinetic Energy Interceptor missile defense 
programs and is also part of a Department of Homeland Security team 
with United Air Lines that has been tasked to submit designs for an 
electro optic missile warning systems for commercial airplanes.
  These forward thinking companies continue to assert themselves as 
major players in our nation's research and development, especially our 
search of the next frontier. I congratulate them on their achievements 
and wish them continued success.

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