[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 74 (Monday, May 5, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL ASTRONAUT DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 
National Astronaut Day.
  It was 64 years ago today when a brave American, Commander Alan B. 
Shepard, sat in the cockpit of the Mercury rocket ready to face the 
unknown. With three simple words, ``light this candle,'' he launched 
into the vast expanse of space, becoming the first American to break 
the bounds of Earth.
  His spacecraft, Freedom 7, was a tribute to the seven Project Mercury 
astronauts and to one of our Nation's founding principles: freedom.
  That mission marked not just a milestone in science, but a defining 
moment of national pride in American leadership.
  Just 8 years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted the Stars 
and Stripes on the Moon.
  When we think of the astronauts, we often picture rocket launches, 
moonwalks, and zero gravity. Yet, what we don't always see is the years 
of rigorous training, the risks they accept, and the teamwork behind 
every mission.
  Mr. Speaker, on National Astronaut Day, we honor the pioneers who 
have blazed a trail into the final frontier. They remind us that 
boundaries are meant to the pushed and discovery is a never-ending 
journey.

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