[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 148 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  NASA

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, today I rise to speak about NASA and the 
human exploration program. NASA and our industry partners have made 
incredible progress in space exploration, and we are now closer to 
human missions into deep space than we have been since we last left the 
Moon nearly 45 years ago. We have set a lofty but achievable goal. We 
are going to Mars, and we are building the rockets and infrastructure 
to get us there.
  Achieving a complex, long-term goal can be challenging for a 
government, and this is especially true during an administration 
transition. But we can't let up on the development if we are going to 
put a human on Mars. That is why I, along with a number of my Commerce 
Committee colleagues, recently introduced the NASA Transition 
Authorization Act of 2016. This bipartisan bill will ensure that NASA 
maintains a continuity of purpose over the next year. The NASA 
Transition Authorization Act will give NASA the stability needed to 
keep NASA's important missions moving through 2017. It is not just 
important to the agency, it is something that is particularly important 
to the thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses across the 
country where dedicated men and women are working hard to move our 
space program forward.
  With this bill, we are sending a strong message to companies like 
Futuramic Tool & Engineering in Michigan. They are so proud to help 
build the rockets that will take us to Mars, and all of us in the 
Congress must stand solidly behind their efforts.
  A few weeks ago, I visited the Kennedy Space Center to witness the 
launch of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, a science mission that will take a 
sample from an asteroid and return that sample back to Earth. I saw the 
launch infrastructure taking shape for the massive SLS rocket and the 
assembly and testing of the Orion crew capsule that will launch in 2018 
aboard SLS. I also saw amazing work by Boeing, SpaceX, and the United 
Launch Alliance on their rockets and spacecraft, which will start 
sending U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station in a couple 
of years. When you see the scale of these gigantic structures and the 
intricacy of the machinery, you really get a sense of how much power, 
energy, and precision it takes to conduct these very ambitious 
missions, and you see why we can't stop this momentum toward space. We 
are going boldly, and we are going to stay, and this legislation makes 
that point very clear.
  Importantly, this bill authorizes the entire agency, reaffirming that 
NASA is a multimission agency with important missions in space 
technology, aeronautics, exploration, and education.
  I am particularly pleased that the legislation underscores the 
importance of NASA's science programs. Investing in NASA's science 
mission leads to research and development of new technologies. These 
technologies increase the competitiveness of our space program and at 
the same time shed light on ways we can protect and improve our planet 
Earth. I cannot overstate the importance of this work to our Nation, 
our planet, and to humanity as a whole. I agree with many in the 
scientific community who believe we need to increase our investments in 
NASA science missions, aeronautics, and other areas of the agency, and 
I will work to improve these programs more comprehensively in future 
legislation.
  I am also pleased that parts of my bill reinforces NASA's ongoing 
efforts to educate the scientists and astronauts of the future. Earlier 
this year, Senator Gardner and I introduced legislation to promote 
American competitiveness through investments in research and STEM 
education. NASA's inspiring exploration and science missions make the 
agency uniquely positioned to engage students in STEM subjects. I 
witnessed this firsthand when former astronaut Charlie Precourt joined 
me in speaking to a group of Michigan students last year. I can assure 
you the students were much more excited to talk to a former astronaut 
than a U.S. Senator.
  It is also my hope that we can move forward and pass the space 
weather bill that Senator Gardner and I introduced earlier this year. 
This legislation assigns roles to the various Federal agencies involved 
with space weather and improves the research and observations needed to 
better predict space weather events. The space weather bill, together 
with the NASA bill, represents a strong and positive bipartisan 
consensus for our space program, including space science. Heliophysics, 
or the study of the Sun, is a critical component of NASA's science 
research mission and has major implications for life here on Earth.
  I was also pleased to see that NASA's new Associate Administer for 
Science, University of Michigan professor Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, has a 
strong background in space weather. I wish him good luck in his new 
role.
  I wish to congratulate Senator Cruz, Chairman Thune, Ranking Member 
Nelson, Senator Wicker, Senator Rubio, Senator Udall, and Senator 
Cantwell for their hard work on the NASA transition act, and I look 
forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that NASA has a steady 
path forward to keep making groundbreaking discoveries and inspiring 
Americans for years to come.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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