[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 6, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H573-H575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1515
      CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EXPLORER I SATELLITE

  Mr. MELANCON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 287) celebrating the 50th 
anniversary of the United States Explorer I satellite, the world's 
first scientific spacecraft, and the birth of the United States space 
exploration program.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 287

       Whereas January 31, 2008, is the 50th anniversary of the 
     launch of Explorer I, the first United States satellite to be 
     successfully lofted into space and the world's first 
     scientific satellite;
       Whereas the launch of Explorer I marks the birth of the era 
     of United States space exploration, a half-century of 
     advances in both robotic and human exploration of space, 
     including the first footsteps by humanity on another world;
       Whereas, since the launch of Explorer I, the United States 
     has launched spacecraft--
       (1) to explore each of the solar system's planets and the 
     Earth's Moon;
       (2) to observe the Earth and the interactions of its 
     atmospheric, oceanic, and land systems;
       (3) to conduct studies of the Sun and its interactions with 
     Earth;
       (4) to investigate asteroids and comets;
       (5) to peer deeper into space to understand the origin of 
     the universe and the formation of the stars, galaxies, and 
     planets; and
       (6) to extend human presence into space;
       Whereas Explorer I and the impetus for scientific 
     satellites occurred as part of the International Geophysical 
     Year, a major scientific initiative of 67 nations to collect 
     coordinated measurements of the Earth, whose spirit continues 
     to be embodied in the international partnerships that enhance 
     space endeavors;
       Whereas Explorer I carried a scientific instrument designed 
     and built by Dr. James A. Van Allen of the University of Iowa 
     to detect cosmic rays;
       Whereas the cosmic ray measurements from Explorer I led to 
     the discovery of regions of energetic charged particles 
     trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, later named the Van 
     Allen radiation belts;
       Whereas the combined efforts of Dr. James A. Van Allen and 
     his science team, individuals at the Jet Propulsion 
     Laboratory, and individuals at the Army Ballistic Missile 
     Agency made possible the successful development and launch of 
     Explorer I and ushered in a new age of United States 
     scientific and human exploration of space;
       Whereas the next 50 years of United States accomplishments 
     in outer space will rely on individuals possessing strong 
     mathematics, science, and engineering skills and the 
     educators who will train such individuals;
       Whereas the United States space program enables the 
     development of advanced technologies, skills, and 
     capabilities that support United States competitiveness and 
     economic growth;
       Whereas Dr. Van Allen, commenting on the future of space 
     science a decade ago, said ``there is no shortage of great 
     ideas on what we'd like to do. . . . There is virtually no 
     limit to what can be investigated in interplanetary science 
     and astronomy.''; and
       Whereas over the next 50 years the United States will 
     attain additional exciting and significant achievements in 
     robotic and human space exploration: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) celebrates the achievement of the late Dr. James A. Van 
     Allen and his science team and all of the individuals at the 
     Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Army Ballistic Missile Agency 
     who, through the successful launch of Explorer I, brought the 
     United States into the space age and science into the realm 
     of space;
       (2) supports science, technology, engineering, and 
     mathematics education programs, which are critical for 
     preparing the next generation to lead future United States 
     space endeavors;
       (3) recognizes the role of the United States space program 
     in strengthening the scientific and engineering foundation 
     that contributes to United States innovation and economic 
     growth; and
       (4) looks forward to the next 50 years of United States 
     achievements in the robotic and human exploration of space.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Melancon) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MELANCON. 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 House Concurrent Resolution 287, the 
resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MELANCON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 287. This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of 
Explorer I, the first successful launch of a U.S. satellite into space, 
which took place on January 31, 1958, a date that also marks the 50th 
birthday of our U.S. space program.
  With the launch of Explorer I, the United States was the first to 
send a scientific instrument into Earth's orbit. The measurements from 
that instrument led to the significant discovery of the Van Allen 
radiation belts.
  We owe our profound appreciation and gratitude to the late Dr. James 
Van Allen and science team and those individuals from the Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory and Army Ballistic Missile Agency who made 
possible the success of Explorer I.
  Their pioneering efforts launched the beginning of America's journey 
beyond Earth, a journey that continues to generate remarkable 
accomplishments in

[[Page H574]]

pushing back the frontiers of scientific knowledge and human space 
exploration.
  Since the launch of Explorer I 50 years ago, the United States has 
led the world in space exploration, with American astronauts taking 
humanity's first steps on the Moon, and American scientists working 
with their international colleagues to launch scientific probes to each 
of the planets in our solar system, to the Moon, asteroids and comets, 
and to study the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar 
system.
  Our astronomical observatories peer deeper and deeper into the 
universe and our Earth observing spacecraft deliver data that improves 
our quality of life and helps us preserve the health of our planet. 
Through these and many other exciting accomplishments, our space 
program has truly become one of our Nation's crown jewels.
  Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate the anniversary of Explorer I and past 
achievements, it is important that we also look to space as a story 
about America's future.
  The U.S. space program is a catalyst for the advanced technologies 
and innovation that contribute to America's economic competitiveness, 
and it also serves as a training ground for the scientists and 
engineers who are so critical to keeping America strong.
  In closing, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting House 
Concurrent Resolution 287 and America's space program.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I would yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 287, offered by my 
friend and Space Subcommittee chairman, Mark Udall, as well as Mr. 
Melancon, Ralph Hall and myself, commemorating the 50th anniversary of 
the launch of Explorer I, America's first satellite. With this launch, 
America became a spacefaring Nation.
  Unlike the Soviets, who 4 months earlier had launched Sputnik I in 
secrecy, America's space program was carried on in full public view. 
Our first attempt to launch a satellite, Vanguard I, ended in failure. 
As a consequence, some suggested that our preeminence as a world power 
was jeopardized.
  Explorer I proved otherwise. The successful launch came through a 
collaboration of brilliant and dedicated scientists and engineers led 
by Wernher von Braun, who designed the launch vehicle known as the 
Jupiter C; Dr. Charles Pickering, director of the Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory, who designed the satellite; and Dr. James Van Allen, who 
designed the main instrument carried aboard Explorer I.
  On the night of January 31, 1958, Explorer I lifted off from Pad 26A 
at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Almost 2 hours passed before a ground 
station in California confirmed the satellite's successful orbit. 
America was now on a path to achieve space preeminence.
  Unlike Sputnik I, Explorer I did more than demonstrate the ability to 
place an object into orbit. It had a valuable scientific purpose. 
Explorer I consisted of a Geiger counter that detected cosmic rays, 
temperature sensors, and a micrometeorite impact microphone. These 
instruments discovered radiation belts, now named after Dr. James Van 
Allen, that encircle the Earth.
  Explorer I stopped transmitting data on May 23, 1958 when its 
batteries died. But it stayed in orbit until March 31, 1970 and 
completed about 58,000 orbits around the Earth.
  Explorer I's legacy was far greater than anticipated. Few imagined 
how satellites could maintain our Nation's security and economy and 
extend man's reach to the far corners of the solar system.
  Government and private enterprise, scientists and engineers, worked 
together to exploit and expand the capacities of space. Today, a 
vibrant and critical commercial industry builds and launches 
sophisticated satellites.
  In Earth orbit, satellites forecast weather and measure surface winds 
and other climate variables. They monitor land-use patterns and remote 
sensing. They help farmers gauge the health of their crops; transmit 
data, radio and television signals into our homes and to businesses 
around the world; and they provide the infrastructure for the global 
positioning system, enabling the capability to accurately navigate to 
virtually any point on Earth.
  Beyond Earth orbit, satellites have visited every planet in the solar 
system except for Pluto, although a mission is under way to visit this 
far-away planet in 2015. Satellites have carried rovers to the surface 
of Mars, they have captured samples of interstellar dust and returned 
them to Earth, photographed the heavens with exceptional clarity, 
measured background temperatures and radiation to high precision, and 
landed on a moon of Saturn.
  Explorer I also led to our human spaceflight program under which 
America learned to orbit the Earth, explore the Moon, and live for 
extended periods aboard the international space station.
  H. Con. Res. 287 commemorates the achievements of the Explorer I 
team, and acknowledges its role as the impetus for what has become a 
critical part of America's greatness. I am pleased to be an original 
cosponsor of this bill, along with my good friend and ranking 
Republican member of the Science and Technology Committee, Ralph Hall, 
and I urge all Members to support it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MELANCON. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any further speakers, and I 
would reserve my time.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, earlier I shamelessly invited people to come 
and experience the Daytona 500. While they are there, they may want to 
come visit a museum not far from the Daytona 500. Launch Complex 26, 
where Explorer I was launched, now houses the U.S. Air Force Space and 
Missile Museum.
  If you visit, you can tour the blockhouse from which the Explorer I 
was launched, see launch control equipment from that era and walk on 
the launch pad. Just a few hundred yards away is Launch Pad 5 where 
America's first astronaut, Alan Shepherd, was launched into space. 
Emily Perry serves as the museum's curator. Sixty volunteers, led by 
Gary Harris, guide these tours. Most of these volunteers are veterans 
of America's space program, including some from the Explorer I era. 
Their stories provide a window into this fascinating past. Tours begin 
from the Kennedy Space Center's Visitors Complex and operate 7 days a 
week.
  We have talked about how Explorer I began America's journey as a 
spacefaring people. If you visit the Space and Missile Museum, you can 
see and touch where that journey began.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today we consider H. Con. Res. 
287, Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Explorer I Satellite 
and the Birth of the United States' Space Exploration Program, which I 
introduced last week.
  My statement about its introduction highlighted the inspiring 
accomplishments of our early space pioneers who contributed to the 
successful development and launch of Explorer I--America's first space 
satellite--and the multiple achievements of our Nation's first 50 years 
in space.
  Today, I want to focus on one of the major enablers of America's 
highly successful space program, namely our highly skilled science and 
engineering workforce.
  As we celebrate 50 years of exciting accomplishments in space, we 
witness the return on our Nation's past investments in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
  Those investments produced the cadre of highly skilled scientists and 
engineers who have led our Nation in pushing back the boundaries of 
scientific knowledge and making possible the human and robotic 
exploration of outer space.
  Their contributions to our successes in space have also yielded 
critical benefits by promoting the innovation and advanced technology 
development that are central to America's competitiveness.
  As was expressed so clearly in the National Academies' ``Rising Above 
the Gathering Storm'' report and in the America COMPETES Act that was 
signed into law last year, our nation's economic strength cannot be 
sustained without renewed investments in STEM education.
  Space has always been an attraction for some of America's best and 
brightest. Our space program provides a unique means of encouraging the 
pursuit of STEM fields. I urge my colleagues in Congress to support the 
STEM programs and educators we need to prepare the next generation of 
scientists and engineers who will lead America's next 50 years of 
accomplishments in space and on Earth.
  And I urge you also to maintain Congress's commitment to making the 
investments necessary to continue a robust and vital space program for 
the Nation.

[[Page H575]]

  I would like to thank my colleagues Ms. Giffords and Mr. Rohrabacher 
for their support of the bill, along with the original cosponsors.
  I urge adoption of my resolution.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 287 to 
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Explorer I and the 
birth of an era of United States space exploration.
  On January 31, 1958, the United States officially entered space as 
Explorer I successfully reached orbit. At a time when our Nation feared 
the worst from the Soviet Union, the successful launch of Sputnik 
supercharged anxiety. Our Nation responded, and responded quickly.
  Explorer I, however, was more than just an emphatic response to 
Sputnik. It was achieved important scientific discoveries, as well. As 
mechanical engineer Carl Maggio noted, all involved ``liked the 
difference between our satellite and Sputnik,'' because ``ours flew 
science, the Van Allen experiment.'' Indeed, amongst the numerous 
discoveries made by Explorer I, one of the most important was the 
discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt, a discovery that would be 
considered as one of the most outstanding discoveries of the 
International Geophysical Year.
  This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the home of 
Explorer I--Jet Propulsion Laboratories. Seeing this extraordinary 
accomplishment in person, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride 
knowing that this satellite was the humble beginning of our Nation's 
esteemed space program. An old proverb holds that even the greatest of 
journeys begins with a single step. The launch of Explorer I was that 
first step, and it helped pave the way for a half-century of space 
exploration. Today, JPL missions have rovers on Mars, evaluating soil 
samples on a microscopic level.
  To conclude, I would like to quote the NASA Chief historian Steven J. 
Dick, who observed that ``Like the railroad and the airplane, 
spaceflight has impacted society in ways even the visionaries could not 
have foreseen, and that we cannot fully fathom even today.'' Indeed, 
through the space program, we continue to make important discoveries 
whose benefits amaze generations to come.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res 287, 
recognizing the anniversary of the launch of Explorer I. The launch of 
Sputnik I by the Russians in October 1957 created alarm in the U.S. 
Many Americans were fearful of what a Russian space program meant for 
our country.
  However, the United States quickly responded. In just 84 days 
scientists built the Explorer I satellite that would begin the next 50 
years of space exploration. Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
collaborated under the leadership of Dr. William Pickering to 
manufacture what would become Explorer I. On January 31, 1958, the 
United States launched its first satellite into space. Once in orbit, 
the satellite collected data on cosmic rays. The scientific data was 
important, but the beginning of our space program was also important 
for the assurance it provided Americans. Explorer I signaled we would 
not fall behind Russia in space.
  Today we continue to rely on scientists, engineers, and 
mathematicians to solve the pressing problems of our day. These 
innovators continuously rise to the challenges we as a Nation face. 
Explorer I stands as a milestone in space, and foreshadowed what we 
would achieve in just 50 years.
  Today, the United States remains a leader in space: landing humans on 
the moon; exploring our solar system; and gaining a better 
understanding of our land, oceans, and atmosphere. We must continue to 
reach for new goals in space. By doing so, we continue our leadership 
of this world and lead humanity to a brighter destiny.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. FEENEY. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MELANCON. Mr. Speaker, not having any other speakers, I yield 
back my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Melancon) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 287.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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