[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 131 (Wednesday, September 16, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H9555-H9556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HOW OUR INVESTMENT IN NASA HAS BENEFITED AMERICA

  (Mr. OLSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, yesterday we heard from Norm Augustine, the 
chairman of the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee on the 
recently released options they

[[Page H9556]]

have provided the Obama administration regarding the future of our 
Nation's human spaceflight program; but as we debate the future of 
human spaceflight, we must not overlook the present.
  Last week was a wildly successful one in America's space agency. On 
Friday, the space shuttle Discovery and the crew of STS-128 returned 
home after a very successful mission to the international space 
station. Last week, NASA released new and, frankly, stunning images 
from the recently serviced Hubble telescope. Finally, NASA completed a 
successful test of the ARES I first-stage rocket motor. This is another 
milestone of the Constellation program, our next-generation vehicle, to 
take us back to the Moon.
  All of these were amazing accomplishments, but it was just another 
week at NASA. The American people have invested in space exploration 
for over 50 years. We continue to reap the benefits of that investment.

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