[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7178]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       RETIRE SHUTTLE TO HOUSTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for 
housing one of the remaining space shuttle orbiters in Houston upon the 
end of the space shuttle program. The shuttle program can be counted 
among our Nation's greatest achievements. Scientists and engineers 
envisioned and created reusable vehicles to ferry astronauts, 
experiments, and supplies back and forth from space to Earth. They have 
done so now over 100 times, with three more flights to go.
  The flights and missions of Columbia, Challenger, Atlantis, 
Discovery, and Endeavour are some of our Nation's proudest 
achievements, and much like the programs before it, this program has 
captured our Nation's imagination and taught us more about our universe 
and ourselves than we ever thought possible. As the program concludes, 
the decision on where the orbiters will be displayed has been given to 
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Houston and the Johnson Space Center 
are intrinsic to human space flight, and we are asking Administrator 
Bolden to give one of the orbiters a final home in Houston.
  I grew up in the Clear Lake area of Houston, where the Johnson Space 
Center is located. I spent my childhood living with astronauts and 
wanting to be one when I grew up. I attended college at Rice University 
in Houston, where John F. Kennedy made his famous declaration that this 
country would be the first on the Moon. While many things have changed 
since I was young, children in Clear Lake still have similar dreams. 
They learn about the history and the importance of NASA and they are 
inspired by NASA's achievements every day. Their parents, coaches, and 
Sunday school teachers are the engineers and scientists who are the 
backbone of our space program. Some of them are even astronauts who 
have to miss a game or a parent-teacher conference because they're 
taking a trip to the International Space Station.
  A few weeks ago, I enlisted the help of students in the Clear Creek 
Independent School District from kindergarten through high school to 
explain to Administrator Bolden why one of the retiring orbiters should 
be placed in Houston on permanent display. Thousands of children from 
the Clear Lake area responded to the challenge and wrote letters to 
Administrator Bolden. The letters were funny and heartwarming. They 
expressed a maturity beyond their years and a firsthand knowledge of 
the Houston area's unique and lasting contributions to the achievement 
of NASA. I was amazed by the passion and dedication and their longing 
to have one of the orbiters make its home in their neighborhood. Each 
of these children wrote of their personal connection they feel towards 
our space program and the joy and pride they'd feel when they called 
their friends and family from all over the country and invited them to 
come to Houston to see one of the space shuttles.
  Mari Archambault wrote, ``With so many in the community involved, it 
only makes sense to have a shuttle retired in a place where so much of 
the training related to it takes place. Houston deserves that.'' 
Savannah Finger thinks it would be ``a good feeling to be standing feet 
away from a retired shuttle, which really went into space.'' Allyson 
Stromer drew this picture to show Administrator Bolden how beautiful 
the shuttle would look in Rocket Park. Bill Kontonassios asked how, 
``Space City can be complete without a space shuttle.'' Chloe Molina, 
from League City, reminded Administrator Bolden what the tragic loss of 
the shuttles Columbia and Challenger meant to the Houston community. 
``Viewing a shuttle orbiter will remind them of the brave crews of 
Columbia and Challenger. It would be a fitting memorial, for although 
our Nation lost 14 heroes, the people of Houston lost coworkers, 
neighbors, friends, and family members in those tragedies.'' Faith 
Matthews knows that having a shuttle ``will inspire the youth of 
Houston to become the astronauts of the future so dreams and wishes 
could take us to Mars.'' Marisol Hernandez, the daughter of an 
astronaut, knows that ``if Texas is the home of one of the retired 
space shuttles, I could remember my father's launch.''
  The contributions and achievements of the Houston area make our home 
a logical and appropriate steward for one of the space shuttle 
orbiters. Houston is ``Space City USA,'' and there's no better place 
for a shuttle to be.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask Administrator Bolden to hear the 
requests of these students, not just in housing an orbiter in Houston, 
but in providing them with a future in space worthy of our great past.

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