[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[September 16, 1992]
[Pages 1573-1574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Congress Transmitting the Report on Aeronautics and Space
September 16, 1992

To the Congress of the United States:
    It is with great pleasure that I transmit this report on the 
Nation's achievements in aeronautics and space during 1991, as required 
under section 206 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 2476). Not only do aeronautics and space activities 
involve 14 contributing departments and agencies of the Federal 
Government, as reflected in this report, but the results of their 
ongoing re-

[[Page 1574]]

search and development affect the Nation as a whole.
    Nineteen hundred and ninety-one was a significant year for U.S. 
aeronautics and space efforts. It included eight space shuttle missions 
and six successful launches by the Department of Defense. The shuttle 
missions included the first such mission to focus on astrophysics and 
the first dedicated to life sciences research. Other shuttle missions 
included launch of one satellite to study the unexplored polar regions 
of the Sun and another to collect astronomical data from gamma ray 
sources. Still another shuttle mission launched a satellite to study 
global atmospheric change affecting our own planet. In related areas, 
the Department of Commerce and other Federal agencies have pursued 
studies of such problems as ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect. 
Also here on Earth, many satellites launched in 1991 and earlier 
provided vital support for the successful prosecution of Operations 
Desert Shield and Desert Storm to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. 
And in the aeronautical arena, efforts have ranged from the further 
development of the National Aero-Space Plane to broad-ranging research 
and development that will reduce aircraft noise and promote the 
increased safety of flight.
    Thus, 1991 was a successful year for the U.S. aeronautics and space 
programs. Efforts in both areas have promoted significant advances in 
the Nation's scientific and technical knowledge that promise to improve 
the quality of life on Earth by increasing scientific understanding, 
expanding the economy, improving the environment, and defending freedom.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
September 16, 1992.