Houston Chronicle - A strong step for Texas, and one giant leap for space exploration

Op-Ed

By Ted Cruz, Lamar Smith and Brian Babin

From President Kennedy's 1962 call at Rice University to place a man on the moon within the decade, to the phrase, 'Houston … The Eagle has landed,' to the first private rocket launch on Matagorda Island, Texas' leadership in space exploration is undeniable.
Travel across Texas today, and it's not hard to see the substantial economic investment the space industry is making in communities such as Midland and Van Horn in the West, McGregor in Central Texas, Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley, and Houston in the Southeast. These investments are creating new manufacturing facilities and high-tech jobs.
Space exploration is also critical to the global competitiveness of the United States as our nation seeks to remain the leader in space. Unfortunately, in recent years, uncertainty and cancellations of core missions have clouded the future of NASA and the broader space industry. Cancellations to programs such as Constellation, which sought to return astronauts to the moon and beyond, have had lasting negative consequences not only on NASA but on the economy.
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This legislation, supported broadly by Republicans and Democrats, advances the deep exploration of space by humans, ensures full utilization of the International Space Station and fosters the commercialization and economic development of low Earth orbit. In Texas, this legislation will ensure that the Johnson Space Center remains the crown jewel when it comes to providing mission support to NASA's human spaceflight missions.
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Our legislation also directs NASA to end our dependence on Russia for transporting American astronauts to and from space, and empowers the U.S. to transport and, if necessary, rescue our own astronauts from the ISS in the event of an emergency. Our support of NASA's commercial crew program will enable us to once again launch our astronauts from U.S. soil as early as next year.
We look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law so that our nation, and the great state of Texas, can continue to extend the reach of humans and commerce throughout our galaxy.

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