[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1115
                   50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ``APOLLO 11''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Aderholt) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that it was 50 years ago 
this week that three brave Americans stepped foot on the Moon. When we 
look at our children's toys today, it is amazing that they contain more 
data processing power than the systems which actually operated the 
Apollo vehicles 50 years ago.
  These three American astronauts--Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and 
Michael Collins--could not really know whether they would return. They 
were willing to serve their country and proud for America to be leading 
the world in space.
  But even if our space program got a strong jump-start, even because 
of the Cold War, this mission was also about the human spirit and the 
need to explore. The whole world was eager to hear news of the mission. 
No matter what may happen in the future, this would be the first time 
human beings would step foot on a world other than our own home. Neil 
Armstrong's description of that mission was a leap, and it is as 
fitting today as it is instructional now.
  I am excited, as many of my colleagues and many Americans are, about 
the President's call to accelerate our plans to land again on the Moon 
by 2024. I am very proud of the role that my home State of Alabama has 
played in the development of the most powerful rockets, the Saturn 
family. You can still see today, if you go down to Huntsville, Alabama, 
a real Saturn V rocket suspended horizontally at the U.S. Space & 
Rocket Center in Huntsville.
  Likewise, I am proud of the Marshall Space Flight Center, including 
the Michoud Assembly Facility, as the designer and the builder of the 
Space Launch System. This will be the most powerful rocket in the world 
and is approximately 90 percent finished. The American taxpayers own 
it, and they will benefit from it as a national asset. It is the 
successful combined work of product companies and suppliers from 
virtually every State in the Nation.
  The Saturn V rocket was able to execute the Apollo mission in one 
launch because of the rocket's third stage propelled lander and the 
reentry vehicle to the Moon's orbit.
  Similarly, the SLS exploration upper stage, referred to as the EUS, 
will enable a payload delivery to the Moon's orbit, including the Orion 
capsule, of 45 metric tons, three to four times greater than any other 
launch vehicle currently in use or close to completion. It can have 
that EUS capability ready by 2024, but we can only have that ready if 
we move ahead this year with that goal.
  Systems like the SLS and Orion inspire innovation, and maybe one day 
other rockets and capsules will surpass them. But to reach our goal by 
2024, we need to stay focused and complete these nearly mature systems.
  Some have said in recent years about our going to the Moon: We have 
been there. We have done that. With all due respect, I would disagree. 
But this new mission to the Moon, I would say: Go there, but don't stop 
there.
  Sustainability offers many future benefits, but let's not get 
distracted for this first human return to the Moon. Let's reach the 
peak. Let's make that landing.
  And as we ponder the future of the Moon, let's look up again and set 
a date, a real mission date, for setting foot on Mars.

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