[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 161 (Thursday, September 17, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S5712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 704--HONORING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF GENERAL THOMAS 
P. STAFFORD AND RECOGNIZING HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES SPACE 
                                PROGRAM

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

                              S. Res. 704

       Whereas General Thomas Patten Stafford was born in 
     Weatherford, Oklahoma, on September 17, 1930, to Thomas and 
     Mary Ellen Stafford;
       Whereas General Stafford graduated with honors from the 
     United States Naval Academy in 1952, after which he joined 
     the newly formed United States Air Force;
       Whereas General Stafford entered the United States Air 
     Force Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force 
     Base in 1958 and graduated in 1959, receiving the A.B. Honts 
     Award as the outstanding graduate, and thereafter becoming an 
     instructor and writing flight performance and aerodynamics 
     textbooks for the school;
       Whereas, in 1962, General Stafford was chosen among the 
     second group of astronauts by the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration (NASA) to serve in projects Gemini and 
     Apollo;
       Whereas General Stafford developed techniques for and 
     piloted Gemini VI in 1965, completing the first rendezvous in 
     space, and commanded Gemini IX in 1966, demonstrating 3 
     different types of rendezvous, including the rendezvous that 
     would be used in future Apollo lunar missions;
       Whereas, in 1969, General Stafford commanded Apollo 10, 
     piloted the first lunar module to descend within 9 miles of 
     the Moon, designated the first lunar landing site, performed 
     reconnaissance of future Apollo landing sites, and completed 
     each of the essential steps in the final preparation for the 
     upcoming Moon landing, including the first rendezvous around 
     the Moon;
       Whereas General Stafford and his crew won the National 
     Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustees 
     ``Emmy'' Award for initiating development of and taking the 
     first colored images from space;
       Whereas General Stafford set the record for the fastest 
     speed traveled by a human during the return of the Apollo 10 
     mission, a record standing today and documented in the 
     Guinness World Book of Records, at 24,791 miles per hour or 
     Mach 36;
       Whereas General Stafford's final space mission took place 
     in 1975 as commander of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, during 
     which General Stafford and Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov shook 
     hands upon docking, completing the first international space 
     flight and helping set into motion the end of the Cold War;
       Whereas General Stafford received the Nobel Peace Prize 
     nomination for his role in this mission;
       Whereas General Stafford left NASA in 1975 to serve as 
     commander of the Air Force Test Flight Center at Edwards Air 
     Force Base;
       Whereas General Stafford, as Air Force Deputy Chief of 
     Staff for Research, Development, and Acquisition, established 
     requirements for and initiated development of the first 
     stealth aircraft, the F-117A, which was the only stealth 
     attack aircraft in the world for 25 years, and initiated the 
     Air Force roadmap for the Advance Superiority Fighter still 
     in use today;
       Whereas, just prior to his retirement in 1979, General 
     Stafford wrote the specifications for and initiated the 
     development of the Advance Technology Bomber, now known as 
     the B-2 Stealth Bomber, the only stealth bomber force in the 
     world today, and initiated the development of the AGM-129 
     Stealth Cruise Missile;
       Whereas, from 1991 to 1993, General Stafford led NASA's 
     efforts to repair and service the Hubble Telescope and was 
     presented with the NASA Public Service Award;
       Whereas, in 2011, General Stafford was awarded the Wright 
     Brothers Memorial Trophy for pioneering achievements that 
     have led the way to the Moon, to greater international 
     cooperation in space, and to a safer United States;
       Whereas General Stafford completed over 507 hours in space 
     flight time and flew more than 127 types of aircraft and 
     helicopters during his career, along with 4 kinds of 
     spacecraft and 3 types of boosters;
       Whereas General Stafford has advised several presidents on 
     space policy and is currently the Chairman of the NASA 
     Advisory Task Force on the International Space Station;
       Whereas September 17, 2020, marks General Stafford's 90th 
     birthday; and
       Whereas General Stafford has given a lifetime of service to 
     the Nation as a member of the Armed Forces, at NASA, and in 
     other positions within the Executive branch: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes General Stafford's immense contribution to 
     the Space Race and the United States' advancement in space 
     policy and exploration;
       (2) commends General Stafford for his extraordinary 
     dedication and service to the United States throughout his 
     distinguished career; and
       (3) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to General Stafford.

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