[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER ON ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 16, 2007

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this resolution celebrating 50 years of America reaching for the stars.
  Fifty years ago when the Soviets launched Sputnik our Nation was 
thrown into a panic because we believed we had fallen behind our major 
adversary.
  That was true and America responded.
  Our Nation came together and made it a national priority to advance 
our technology and challenge the Soviets in the space race.
  This effort had an impact on my family as my father answered the 
Nation's call to work at the Redstone Rocket Factory with Werner Von 
Braun.
  Those efforts produced the rockets that launched the first 
satellites, put an American into space, and ultimately landed a man on 
the moon.
  The impact of the American space program on our Nation--and the 
efforts of the hundreds of thousands of people who participated in it--
cannot be understated.
  Today people from across our Nation and the world can watch these 
proceedings live due to satellite broadcast. We can communicate via 
cell phones and e-mail. We can cook our food in microwave ovens. We can 
access information immediately over the Internet. All of these 
advancements can trace their roots to the American space program.
  The fact is that our space program has dramatically changed our 
Nation and our world for the better.
  It has always been the case that when America is united toward a 
difficult challenge we rise to the occasion and succeed.
  There is no greater example of this fact than the success of the 
American space program.
  With all of the incredible developments of the last 50 years one can 
only wonder what the next 50 will bring.
  Perhaps a permanent settlement on the moon.
  Perhaps a manned mission to Mars.
  One can only imagine what incredible advances such efforts will bring 
to our society.
  One thing is certain--that when America reaches for the stars--the 
sky is the limit to what we can achieve.




                          ____________________