[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LEGACY OF THE ``APOLLO 11'' MISSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, on July 20, 1969, people 
across the country and around the world watched in eager anticipation 
as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon.
  This historic event ended the space race and brought American 
innovation, determination, and leadership to the forefront of the 
global stage.
  This was American exceptionalism at its best. My brother, sister, and 
I never missed an Apollo liftoff. We all became very familiar with that 
countdown:

       Ten, 9, 8--ignition sequence--6, 5--fire the retro-
     rockets--3, 2, 1. Liftoff. We have liftoff. The rocket has 
     cleared the tower.

  We watched in amazement as we sat in front of that little RCA black-
and-white TV. It was like the whole room was shaking. We would sit and 
watch the TV set until we saw the rocket finally leave all the way out 
of sight.
  Apollo 11 was a 36-story-high rocket. It started its 8-day, 953,000-
mile journey to the Moon and back.
  We all had toy rockets back in the day, and we would repeat that 
liftoff sequence over and over. My brother and I would climb our garage 
and launch our toy rockets.
  In Cub Scouts, we built rockets. In Boy Scouts, we built rockets. In 
our high school physics classes, we built rockets. We had contests to 
see who could fly their rockets the highest and the farthest.
  I have no idea how many young boys and girls were inspired to go into 
science because of the joy of watching rockets being launched to the 
Moon.
  That Apollo jargon took over our daily lives. Our teachers would say 
things like, ``Lunch is T minus 30 minutes.'' Or at the end of a tough 
test, they would say, ``Mission accomplished.''
  As we celebrate this historic event, I think back to all the times I 
took my children to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, which 
displays one of the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo 11 mission. 
This world-class museum and science center, number one of its kind, 
showcases American innovation in space and aeronautics and provides 
interactive opportunities to engage with historic events such as the 
Moon landing.
  In fact, they currently have a traveling exhibit called ``Apollo 
Redux,'' which allows visitors to sit in an actual mission control 
console from the Johnson Space Center where the Apollo missions were 
coordinated.
  It amazes me to think of all the advancements that have been made 
possible as a result of these Apollo missions. Aerospace and 
manufacturing revolutions have dramatically changed the way we build 
and fly airplanes. Research conducted by NASA has helped us to better 
understand our solar system, as well as our universe.
  In fact, Astronaut Nick Hague of Hoxie, Kansas, in my district, is 
currently conducting research on the International Space Station.
  We are proud of Nick, who will keep doing a great job for America.
  As a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I 
am proud to join my colleagues here today in honoring the 50th 
anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing and its legacy that we continue to 
build upon today.

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