[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 109 (Wednesday, July 20, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H5249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                WE MUST PRESERVE AMERICA'S SPACE LEGACY

  (Mr. PALAZZO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALAZZO. Mr. Speaker, 42 years ago today, Neil Armstrong took one 
small step on the lunar surface. It was the culmination of a national 
initiative to put men on the Moon. But although our mission was 
achieved, it didn't end our yearning to explore. In many ways it only 
deepened, and I believe it still exists today.
  Tomorrow, STS-135 Atlantis is scheduled to land in Florida; and with 
the completion of the mission, the shuttle program will have come to an 
end. We now face the uncertainty of where our next steps in space will 
be.
  America's legacy as the unrivaled world leader in space exploration 
enters into a new and uncertain era. As chairman of the Space and 
Aeronautics Subcommittee, partnered with Chairman Ralph Hall, I will 
work within Congress, with NASA, and with private entities to ensure 
America's space exploration legacy is maintained and that last year's 
NASA reauthorization bill is implemented.
  We must continue developing the Space Launch System and Multi-Purpose 
Crew Vehicle in order to achieve assured access for American crews to 
the international space station. Even in challenging economic times, I 
urge my colleagues to prioritize human space flight, for it is in times 
like these that inspiration is needed more than ever.

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