[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING EXTRAORDINARY WORK OF KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

  (Mr. Haridopolos of Florida was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary 
work done in my district at Kennedy Space Center.
  I recently had the privilege of touring this iconic vehicle assembly 
building, a structure that rises 716 feet into the Florida sky. For 
almost 60 years, it has stood as a symbol of American space ambition.
  This is where the mighty Saturn V rockets were assembled, launching 
Apollo astronauts toward the Moon. It is where three decades of the 
space shuttle fleet took shape, and that legacy continues today, where 
work is being done to prepare the Artemis II mission.
  During my visit, I saw firsthand the progress on the SLS, the Space 
Launch System, the rocket that will carry astronauts on a 10-day 
journey to the Moon, further than we have been from the Earth for over 
50 years.
  I saw up close the SLS core stage, a 212-foot fuel tank engineered to 
launch the next era of human spaceflight, and the two solid rocket 
boosters that have already been stacked onto the mobile launch 
platform. Just days ago, the core stage has been integrated with the 
boosters, a major milestone in the path to launch.

  In the coming months, the crews at the KSC will add more hard work to 
the SLS, culminating in securing the Orion spacecraft to the top. The 
Artemis II mission is currently on track to launch in April of next 
year. When it lifts off, 9 million pounds of thrust will carry American 
astronauts further from Earth, as I mentioned before, in over 50 years, 
into our lunar orbit. When Artemis II succeeds, America will aim to 
return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2027.
  These missions are a statement to the world that America still leads, 
still explores, and still dares. That is why the work being done by 
NASA at Kennedy Space Center is so critical. This team is working 
tirelessly to keep Artemis II on schedule, pushing through complex 
technical milestones with focus and determination.
  This mission matters. Returning to the Moon opens the door to the 
future, deep space exploration, technological breakthroughs, and a new 
chapter in American space leadership.
  It is a reminder to every child looking at the sky that there are 
still frontiers to cross and still dreams to chase.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a race. China has made no secret of its lunar 
ambitions. This Communist dictatorship is building, planning, and 
pushing to plant their flag on the Moon and to shape the rules that 
follow. We cannot afford to yield that ground.
  The Nation that leads in space will shape the world order on Earth, 
and that leadership must be American. Kennedy Space Center is where we 
make that stand, and I applaud the work of the men and women who are 
making Artemis II a reality. I am proud to say the future of American 
spaceflight is alive and well at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

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