[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16817-16818]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1640
         RECOGNIZING 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ``APOLLO 13'' MISSION

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1421) recognizing the 40th 
anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission and the heroic actions of both the 
crew and those working at mission control in Houston, Texas, for 
bringing the three astronauts, Fred Haise, Jim Lovell, and Jack 
Swigert, home to Earth safely.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1421

       Whereas, on April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 was launched with an 
     intended destination of Fra Mauro highlands on the Moon;
       Whereas on the way to the Moon, roughly 199,990 miles from 
     Earth, the number 2 oxygen tank exploded and seriously 
     damaged the Apollo 13 spacecraft;
       Whereas after mission control calculated that a lunar 
     landing was impossible, mission control decided to fly a 
     circumlunar orbit and use the Moon's gravity to return the 
     ship to Earth;
       Whereas the tireless and heroic work of both mission 
     control and the astronauts on board the spacecraft allowed 
     Apollo 13 to safely navigate back to Earth;
       Whereas the heroic work of mission control in Houston, 
     Texas, solved a number of unique engineering problems, such 
     as using the lunar module as a lifeboat for the crew and 
     devising a carbon dioxide control system completely from 
     scratch;
       Whereas without the outstanding work of the men and women 
     at mission control, the astronauts would most certainly not 
     have been able to return to Earth safely;
       Whereas the safe return of the crew is a testament to 
     United States ingenuity, and a can-do attitude which 
     represents the best of the space program and the Nation;
       Whereas the Apollo program lasted from 1961 to 1975 and set 
     a number of milestones in human spaceflight, including the 
     first mission that left low Earth orbit and the first man on 
     the Moon;
       Whereas the Apollo program spurred advances in many areas 
     of technology including avionics, telecommunications, and 
     computers; and
       Whereas the Apollo missions sparked interest in many fields 
     of engineering which benefitted the United States economy, 
     national psyche, and leadership in science and technology: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 
     mission;
       (2) recognizes the bravery and heroism of the astronauts of 
     the Apollo 13 mission, as well as the men and women in 
     mission control;
       (3) reaffirms its support of National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration (NASA) and human space flight; and
       (4) recognizes the tremendous advances to science and 
     technology in the United States

[[Page 16818]]

     that were spurned by the Apollo space program.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1421, the 
resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, it is hard to imagine a more difficult problem than 
that of figuring out how to safely return to Earth in a critically 
damaged spacecraft heading towards the Moon--or one that is more 
urgent. Yet, through the combined efforts of the three consummately 
trained astronauts, the skilled NASA engineers and flight controllers 
and contractor workforce, Apollo 13 and its crew were brought back to 
Earth safely. As we consider the future of NASA and its human 
spaceflight programs, let this 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 
mission both inspire us and remind us of the importance of ensuring 
safety and the strength and capabilities of our human spaceflight 
workforce as we send our astronauts into space.
  I would like to thank the resolution's sponsor, Mr. Poe, for 
introducing this good resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 1421, recognizing the 40th anniversary 
of the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew capsule. Apollo 13 launched 
from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, for a planned lunar 
landing, but suffered serious mechanical and systems failures 2 days 
later while en route to the Moon.
  Through inventiveness and tireless efforts, the men and women at 
NASA's mission control center provided untested solutions to complex 
challenges that, up to that time, were unthinkable and unknown. Using 
out-of-the-box creativity, NASA engineers and program managers salvaged 
what was later deemed to be a ``successful failure,'' bringing the crew 
successfully back to Earth on April 17.
  I am proud to support this resolution. I am proud, of course, of 
American ingenuity and the valor of the people of NASA, and encourage 
my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 40th anniversary of the 
Apollo 13 mission.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1421.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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