[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S2406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 SENATE RESOLUTION 149--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE AND INSPIRATION OF 
                       THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

  Mr. RUBIO (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 149

       Whereas the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope on April 
     24, 1990, from the Kennedy Space Center marked a historic 
     moment in space discovery and observation;
       Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
     designed, built, and placed the Hubble Space Telescope into 
     orbit;
       Whereas the Space Shuttle Discovery transported the Hubble 
     Space Telescope on the STS-31 mission and placed the 
     Telescope into orbit at 380 statute miles;
       Whereas the crew on the Space Shuttle Discovery consisted 
     of Commander Loren J. Shriver, Pilot Charles F. Bolden, Jr., 
     Mission Specialist Bruce McCandless II, Mission Specialist 
     Kathryn D. Sullivan, and Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley;
       Whereas the Hubble Space Telescope weighed more than 24,000 
     pounds at launch, currently weighs 27,000 pounds following 
     the final servicing mission in 2009, and measures more than 
     43 feet in length;
       Whereas the Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth at 
     17,000 miles per hour and has completed more than 
     3,000,000,000 miles of orbit around the Earth;
       Whereas the Hubble Space Telescope continues to provide 
     more than 10 Terabytes of data annually and has been heralded 
     as one of the most productive scientific instruments known to 
     man;
       Whereas the spirit of discovery, innovation, and 
     exploration is enshrined in the productivity of the Hubble 
     Space Telescope; and
       Whereas the Hubble Space Telescope has made significant 
     advancements and discoveries in planetary sciences, 
     cosmology, and galactic sciences: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration on the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space 
     Telescope launch;
       (2) recognizes the scientists, crew, engineers, and staff 
     who contributed to the success of the Hubble Space Telescope;
       (3) notes the significance of the discoveries and 
     contributions to science of the Hubble Space Telescope as 
     well as the subsequent innovations that were derived from the 
     data collected from the Hubble Space Telescope; and
       (4) acknowledges that the Hubble Space Telescope has 
     captured images from and answered questions about space and 
     has inspired generations of young people to go into the 
     fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and 
     research.

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