[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 18, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S7745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SPACE SHUTTLE ``DISCOVERY'' STS-121 MISSION

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, yesterday, July 17, 2006, 
marked the successful conclusion of the STS-121 space shuttle Discovery 
mission with its safe landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 
This 13-day mission was the 115th shuttle mission and the 18th to visit 
the International Space Station. STS-121 satisfied its ``return to 
flight'' objectives by flight testing improvements to the shuttle and 
testing on-orbit shuttle repair procedures. This flight provided more 
than 28,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to the space station and 
enabled its number of occupants to grow to three. STS-121 included 
three important spacewalks and laid the groundwork for the continued 
assembly, and ultimately doubling in size, of the space station.
  I applaud the bravery, expertise, and accomplishments of the STS-121 
crew--Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission 
Specialists Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak, Thomas Reiter, Piers Sellers, 
and Stephanie Wilson. This successful mission is a testament to the 
thousands of people who work on the space shuttle and space station 
programs.
  Mr. President, we must continue with our plans to fly the space 
shuttle in order to complete the construction of the International 
Space Station. 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.

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