[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5419-H5422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING NASA ON COMPLETION OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE'S SECOND RETURN-TO-
                             FLIGHT MISSION

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 448) commending the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration on the completion of the Space 
Shuttle's second Return-to-Flight mission.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 448

       Whereas, on July 4, 2006, the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration performed a successful launch of the 
     Space Shuttle Discovery;
       Whereas this mission, known as STS-121, marks the second 
     Return-to-Flight mission;
       Whereas the crew of the Discovery consisted of Colonel 
     Steve Lindsey, Commander Mark Kelly, Piers Sellers, Ph.D, 
     Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fossum, Commander Lisa Nowak, 
     Stephanie Wilson, and Thomas Reiter;
       Whereas the STS-121 mission tested Space Shuttle safety 
     improvements, building on findings from Discovery's flight 
     last year, including a redesign of the Space Shuttle's 
     External Tank foam insulation, in-flight inspection of the 
     shuttle's heat shield, and improved imagery during launch;
       Whereas the STS-121 mission re-supplied the International 
     Space Station by delivering more than 28,000 pounds of 
     equipment and supplies, as well as added a third crew member 
     to the International Space Station;
       Whereas, due to the overall success of the launch and on-
     orbit operations, the mission was able to be extended from 12 
     to 13 days, allowing for an additional space walk to the two 
     originally scheduled;
       Whereas the success of the STS-121 mission is a tribute to 
     the skills and dedication of the Space Shuttle crew, the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and its 
     industrial partners;
       Whereas all Americans benefit from the technological 
     advances gained through the Space Shuttle program; and
       Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
     plays a vital role in sustaining America's preeminence in 
     space: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That it is the sense of Congress that the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration be commended 
     for--
       (1) the successful completion of the Space Shuttle 
     Discovery's STS-121 mission; and
       (2) its pioneering work in space exploration which is 
     strengthening the Nation and benefitting all Americans.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Calvert) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-
Lee) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 448, the concurrent 
resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in hearty support of H. Con. Res. 448, 
which commends the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for 
its successful completion of the space shuttle's second return-to-
flight test mission. NASA gave the United States a birthday present and 
the best fireworks show imaginable with the breathtaking launch of the 
Discovery mission, also known as STS-121, on the Fourth of July this 
year.
  The shuttle Discovery spent nearly 13 days in orbit, 9 of which were 
spent docked to the international space station. During the 18th 
shuttle mission to the international space station, the STS-121 crew 
members delivered over 28,000 pounds of equipment and supplies and 
transported one additional crew member to the station for a 6-month 
stay. The astronauts also performed three successful space walks to 
test equipment and to conduct maintenance.
  This Discovery mission is an essential building block for the Vision 
for Space Exploration to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond. NASA is already 
fast at work on preparation for the next shuttle launch, with a window 
that begins on August 28, just a little more than a month away. This 
mission will resume the assembly of the international space station 
with the delivery of two truss sections and a set of solar arrays.
  NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, the Discovery crew, and the men and 
women of NASA deserve accolades from the American public for a 
successful STS-121 mission and for effectively reviving America's space 
program to the heights of its glory. These astronauts represent the 
best of humankind. As the President stated upon the return of the 
Discovery crew on Monday: ``Your courage and commitment to excellence 
have inspired us all, and a proud Nation sends its congratulations on a 
job well done. America's space program is a source of great national 
pride.''

[[Page H5420]]

                              {time}  1415

  I urge the passage of H. Con. Res. 448.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman and ranking member of 
the full committee and the chairman and ranking member of the 
subcommittee, Mr. Paul of Texas, Mr. Boehlert and Mr. Calvert, and 
those of us enthusiastically in support of this very, very important 
resolution.
  I would like to first of all acknowledge the human factor, and that 
is to call out the names of COL Steve Lindsey, CDR Mark Kelly, Piers 
Sellers, Ph.D., LTC Mike Fossum, CDR Lisa Nowak, Stephanie Wilson and 
Thomas Reiter, congratulations to these very expert, profound and 
committed Americans, brave Americans, and to really congratulate their 
efforts and the STS-121; to commend, as I said, my colleague from 
Texas, for allowing us today to acknowledge how important this launch 
is.
  It was launched safely and it reentered safely. In addition, STS-121 
was the 115th shuttle station, and the 18th to visit the space station, 
on which we left a very new member of the able space station family. 
This particular launch had a special emphasis because it was launched 
on July 4th, the Nation's birthday. What a spectacular event.
  I would simply say in addition to its launch, the important work that 
was done, the important space exploration that was done by two of the 
members of the team, two crew members, Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum, 
ventured outside the Space Shuttle three times on space walks. I 
remember as a child the amazing experience that one would see and 
envision as the initial space launches began, and then subsequently as 
we saw the space walks that began, but then to be able to acknowledge 
when one astronaut stepped first on the Moon.
  During the first space walk, they prepared the international space 
station's railcar for restoration and successfully tested whether the 
combination of the space shuttle's robotic arm and orbital boom sensor 
system could be a platform to make repairs.
  During the second space walk, they restored the station's mobile 
transport. On the third space walk, Sellers and Fossum tested methods 
of repairing a damaged orbiter.
  Let me just simply say as we look at all of the work, Mission 
Specialist Thomas Reiter remained in the international space station 
and he was the backup. Stephanie Wilson from my community, as many of 
you know, the astronauts live in Houston, let me also pay special 
tribute to Stephanie Wilson, the second African American woman to go 
into space. Lisa Nowak added to this pool of outstanding women.
  So allow me to close by simply saying that this was unique not only 
because of its launch on July 4th, but because of the new culture of 
safety; because I questioned whether this launch should go forward in 
light of the safety engineer's comments and the controversy before the 
launch. But now, in the new culture of safety, NASA vetted those 
concerns and NASA continued to vet them throughout the launch. They did 
an extensive review of the space shuttle before reentry. This 
pronounces that we are ready, we are ready to take on the 
responsibility, and we are ready to accept risk but not without every 
attention to safety.
  So I would simply say to my colleagues, I ask enthusiastically that 
we support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Miller) be able to manage the rest of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul), the author of this resolution and a 
great supporter of the great work of NASA.
  (Mr. PAUL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to sponsor H.Con.Res 448, a resolution 
commending the people of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration for the latest mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery, 
and I thank the Science Committee and the House leadership for their 
assistance in bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Successfully launched on July 4th, this mission, known as STS-121, 
marks the second mission of the return-to-flight sequence. STS-121 
originally was scheduled to perform just two space walks. However, due 
to the overall success of the launch, the mission was extended from 12 
days to 13 days, allowing for an additional space walk.
  Among the tasks that were performed on this mission are tests of 
shuttle safety improvements to build on findings from Discovery's 
flight last year, including a redesign of the shuttle's external fuel 
tank's foam insulation, inflight inspection of the shuttle's heat 
shield, improved imagery during launch, and the ability to launch a 
shuttle rescue mission. The external tank, which underwent work during 
the mission to reduce foam loss, performed well this time, especially 
early in the flight.
  The STS-121 mission also bolstered the international space station by 
making a key repair and delivering more than 28,000 pounds of equipment 
and supplies, as well as adding a third crew member to the space 
station.
  STS-121 was NASA's most photographed mission in shuttle history, as 
more than 100 high definition, digital, video and film cameras assessed 
whether any debris comes off the external tank during the shuttle's 
launch.
  Mr. Speaker, the success of STS-121 is a tribute to the skills and 
dedication of all NASA employees, especially the Space Shuttle 
Discovery crew of Colonel Steve Lindsey, Commander Mark Kelly, Piers 
Sellers, Ph.D., Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fossum, Commander Lisa Nowak, 
Stephanie Wilson and Thomas Reiter.
  I would like now to close with a particular quote that is very 
pertinent for what we are doing here with this resolution. This comes 
from a famous author of the last century, who might have been one of 
the most famous, who wrote a book that many Members of this Congress 
may well have read. The interesting thing about this quote, it comes 
from an individual who was not much in favor of big government. As a 
matter of fact, she was in favor of very, very limited government, and 
she introduced the ideas of libertarianism to millions of Americans.
  But nevertheless, it just happened that NASA was her favorite 
government agency, and therefore after the Moon landing in 1979 she 
wrote very favorably about NASA, which in some ways contradicted her 
philosophy, but it also spoke to the tremendous brilliance and success 
of the Moon exploration program.
  That author that I want to quote is the author of Atlas Shrugged, Ayn 
Rand, who wrote this shortly after the Moon landing in 1969. And 
although this is written in praise of the Moon landing, it applies to 
all those individuals who participated in STS-121.
  The quote goes this way: ``Think of what was required to achieve that 
mission. Think of the unpitying effort; the merciless discipline; the 
courage; the responsibility of relying on one's judgment; the days, 
nights and years of unswerving dedication to a goal; the tension of an 
unbroken maintenance of a full, clear mental focus and honesty. It took 
the highest, sustained acts of virtue to create in realty what had only 
been dreamt of for millennia.''
  I encourage all my colleagues and all Americans to join me in 
commending NASA for completing this mission and all of NASA's work.
  Mr. MILLER of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
resolution, and I rise, Mr. Speaker, to make note of the heroes in our 
society and the heroines in our society.
  As I do so, I am reminded of a statement that calls to our attention 
the notion that a great person or great people will always rise to the 
occasion, and our astronauts have truly risen to the occasion. They are 
making it possible for us to travel not only to the planets, but also 
to the stars and beyond. They have truly risen to the occasion.

[[Page H5421]]

  However, just as a great person will always rise to the occasion, it 
takes an even greater people to make the occasion, and I want to salute 
as well the many persons, some of whom are nondescript, who help make 
it possible for a great people to rise to the occasion: the janitors 
who work as a part of this team, all of the contractors and 
subcontractors who are a part of this team. Every person associated 
with this effort deserves to be commended for the outstanding job that 
has been done.
  So today we celebrate not only those who rise to the occasion, but 
also those who make the occasion.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the crew and all of the NASA 
employees on the successful completion of their mission, known as STS-
121, the second return-to-flight mission. The mission serves as another 
example of the historic accomplishments of each of NASA's centers.
  I am proud to say that the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, 
Ohio played an essential role in the mission. Over the last year, NASA 
Glenn's researchers and scientists have worked to improve the safety of 
the shuttle.
  Glenn's supersonic 8 by 6 foot wind tunnel was used to make detailed 
measurements of the ways in which the shuttle would be affected by the 
absence of what is called the protuberance air load ramps, PAL. The PAL 
ramp is used to smooth the airflow over the exterior cables and fuel 
lines. The information gained from the tests was used to decide to fly 
without the PALs, which is the biggest aerodynamic change in the 
history of the space shuttle.
  Glenn has also been part of a team testing NOAX, a material designed 
to fill spaces in the shuttle's surface. On the third space walk, 
shuttle astronauts tested the compound's performance during the intense 
heat of reentry. Early indications are that the experiment went very 
well.
  Glenn also has experiments in the international space station that 
will further the safety of human presence in outer space. For example, 
this mission began an experiment on the space station that will improve 
the detection of fire in a microgravity environment.
  NASA is deserving of thanks and congratulations from Congress. I 
support this resolution. I thank Congressman Paul for offering it, and 
I want to thank all of my colleagues who have been supportive of this 
program and who understand its relationship to the future of our Nation 
and the future of the world.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret that there are no NASA facilities in my 
district. We are available if NASA has the need of additional 
facilities.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. As the 
adult who sat transfixed as a child in my elementary school classroom 
and watched as we launched first Alan Shepard, then Gus Grissom and 
then John Glenn into space, and sat and watched transfixed each time we 
put human beings into space, it is a remarkable accomplishment. I feel 
as much in awe of the crew of STS-121 as I felt as a small child in 
watching those first Mercury flights.
  It is an accomplishment that requires great skill, and, as we have 
been painfully reminded on two occasions, it is one that still requires 
great physical courage. This is not a safe undertaking. It cannot be 
made safe. It requires great physical courage for the crew to fly into 
space to pursue space travel as they do.
  It is also a remarkable accomplishment for the team of employees at 
NASA who remained on the ground and for all the contractors as well, 
the team at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
  The crew of the STS-121, again, I know that Mr. Calvert has already 
said who they were, Colonel Steve Lindsey, Commander Mark Kelly, Piers 
Sellers, Ph.D., Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fossum, Commander Lisa Nowak, 
Stephanie Wilson and Thomas Reiter, specifically launched into orbit 
above the Space Shuttle Discovery, the second return-to-space flight 
after the disaster, the tragedy of a few years ago.

                              {time}  1430

  Colonel Lindsey said after landing STS-121 that there were two goals 
for the mission. The first was to complete the return-to-flight tasks 
begun with the first return-to-flight mission in July of 2005 by flying 
an improved external tank and testing shuttle repair procedures while 
in orbit, which apparently is considerably more difficult than 
conducting those repairs in a garage bay or in a bay.
  The second goal was to prepare the international space station for 
future assembly and to boost the number of people living on the space 
station from two to three.
  Both of those goals were successfully completed by the mission. For 
the first time since 2003, the international space station now has 
three members. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter joined 
Russian Pavel Vinogradov and American Jeff Williams.
  In addition to those goals, the crew was able to make never-before-
seen high-resolution images of the shuttle during and after the July 
Fourth launch, making that mission the most photographed in the shuttle 
mission.
  And the tragedy a few years ago has reminded us, or should remind us, 
that that ability to look at the shuttle and figure out its current 
status, its current condition is one that is critical to successful 
safe future flights.
  There were many high-definition digital, video and film cameras 
documenting the launch and the climb into orbit, and they did help 
determine whether the shuttle had experienced any damage and whether 
there were any concerns with return to Earth such as the tragedy that 
came upon the Discovery.
  They also performed inspection of the shuttle heat shield while in 
space. And on their third space walk during the mission, they tested 
different techniques for inspecting and repairing the reinforced carbon 
segments that protect the shuttle's nose cone and the right leading 
edge, again, an important safety concern because of the Discovery 
tragedy.
  The crew also delivered 28,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to 
the international space station and repaired a rail car on the 
international space station.
  Through this successful launch and the technological advances that 
the crew made while in space, we can look forward in the not-too-
distant future to the complete assembly of the international space 
station.
  Mr. Speaker, it also increases, the successful mission increases, the 
likelihood that we can keep the Hubble space telescope in service, 
perform necessary repairs as well as routine maintenance, to the extent 
that you can call that routine maintenance.
  Mr. Speaker, the flights of the Discovery showed that the team of 
NASA employees and contractors still have the right stuff or still are 
deserving of our awe and admiration, as the awe and admiration I felt 
as a child for those first Mercury astronauts.
  Mr. Speaker, there being no further speakers, I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
Once again, I want to congratulate the crew, the NASA team, the 
contractors for the successful completion of STS-121. We look forward 
to future success as we continue our journey exploring the unknown and 
to do things that require skill, technical expertise, courage, and the 
will to succeed.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 448.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.

[[Page H5422]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

                          ____________________