[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING NASA AND THE ``NEW HORIZONS'' TEAM

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, this week, the first closeup images of 
Pluto were released thanks to the first-ever mission to explore this 
world 3 billion miles away.
  NASA's New Horizons spacecraft launched at a speed well above 30,000 
miles per hour, making it the fastest spacecraft ever launched. The New 
Horizons probe was launched almost 10 years ago; yet NASA was able to 
predict its arrival time within 1 minute only a few thousands miles 
from the planet.
  New Horizons' successful mission reaffirms the leadership role the 
United States plays and must play in the future in space exploration. 
This helps foster innovation and new technology. The space program also 
inspires future generations to pursue degrees and careers in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  As New Horizons begins the process of transmitting data, we will 
learn even more about Pluto, as well as the Kuiper belt, on its next 
mission beyond Pluto.
  Mr. Speaker, NASA's New Horizons team needs to be congratulated for 
its historic accomplishment, and it is one that all Americans can be 
proud of as a testament to America's ingenuity and determination.
  Once again, NASA has expanded the reach of space exploration, and we 
applaud their efforts and the New Horizons team.

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