[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 44 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3403-S3404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 366 which was 
received from the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 366) to congratulate 
     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the 21st 
     anniversary of the first flight of the space transportation 
     system.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, there have been times that we, as a 
nation, have become so accustomed to successful space shuttle launches 
that we barely heard about them on the evening news. One hundred and 
fourteen successful missions have provided a wealth of information and 
research results that are seen and felt in our everyday lives. Yet few 
of us could identify these as having resulted from Space Shuttle 
research.
  Today, the Space Shuttle is viewed by many as an over-aged relic of 
the past and the vehicle whose two failures in the past 24 years of its 
service cost the lives of 14 brave astronauts. As tragic and 
unforgettable as the Challenger and Columbia accidents were, we must 
honor the memory of their crews by honoring the task for which they 
gave their lives. I am proud that our Nation has chosen to learn 
everything possible from those tragic losses to minimize the risks that 
will always be present in human space flight and to move forward to 
keep the dream of spaceflight alive.
  It is appropriate today, as we consider House Concurrent Resolution 
366, to reach back to the very beginning of space shuttle nights to the 
day, 25 years ago next week--April 12, 1981, at 7 a.m. eastern time. On 
that morning, the space shuttle Columbia lifted off on her maiden 
voyage, carrying two brave and intrepid explorers, Commander John Young 
and Pilot Robert Crippen. They orbited the Earth 36 times in two days, 
six hours and twenty minutes, landing in California at Edwards Air 
Force Base on April 14, 1981, at 1:20 p.m. eastern time. This first 
mission of a reusable spacecraft marked the beginning of a new era in 
human spaceflight.
  This era also provided the Nation and the world with new and 
incredible views of our Earth as seen from orbit. It also provided a 
continuous stream of important microgravity research that has found its 
way into medical devices, treatment procedures, computer enhancements, 
communications technologies, and a host of other practical applications 
that generally go unnoticed. The Great Telescopes, such as Hubble, 
Chandra and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, were all made possible 
by the Space Shuttle. In the case of the Hubble, its inestimable value 
as a research tool was both rescued by the Space Shuttle and extended 
by servicing missions not possible without the Space Shuttle.
  In the next several years, as the Space Shuttle completes the mission 
for which it was designed--completing the assembly and outfitting of 
the International Space Station--we will move into a new era of human 
spaceflight. We will experience new firsts and enter new names into the 
history books of those who accomplish the important milestones along 
our way to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
  None of that would be possible, however, without the service of those 
who have gone before, and especially those two heroes we honor and 
recognize today. These two men took a vehicle never flown before on a 
journey of over a million miles. By any standard, that is an impressive 
first step.

[[Page S3404]]

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, 25 years ago, on April 12, 
1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from the Kennedy Space 
Center in Florida. It marked the beginning of a historic two day 
mission, and more importantly, it was the first of many future shuttle 
missions. I am pleased to support passage of H. Con. Res. 366, 
commemorating this important anniversary.
  I applaud the tremendous bravery of the STS-1 crew--Commander John W. 
Young and Pilot Robert L. Crippen--on accomplishing the mission safely 
and successfully. This anniversary is a testament to the thousands of 
people who worked to bring the Space Shuttle Program to life and to 
those who have sustained it throughout the years.
  The Space Shuttle Program brought our Nation commercial and 
government satellite deliveries, in-orbit satellite repairs, delivery 
of large science observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope, 
Space Lab science missions, historic dockings with the Russian Mir 
Space Station and assembly of the International Space Station.
  Since the STS-1 launch in 1981, this Nation has launched more than 
100 flights. Sadly, the Challenger and Columbia were lost in 1986 and 
2003, respectively. What we learned about safety in spaceflight, 
brought by the sacrifices of the Challenger and Columbia crews, has 
made our space program stronger.
  Today the great challenge facing our space program is one of 
transition. We must complete the construction of the station and retire 
the shuttle fleet with dignity. And equally important, we must work 
together to preserve the workforce that will soon become the backbone 
of the new Crew Exploration Vehicle and the next human space project.
  With the 25th anniversary of STS-1, let us all rededicate ourselves 
to the unfinished mission of exploration and discovery. Let us pledge 
to complete the journey that Commander Young and Pilot Crippen began by 
returning safely to flight with STS-121 later this summer, and move 
forward in leading the world in space exploration.
  Mr. McCONNELL. 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 that any statements 
relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 366) was agreed to.

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