National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 22, 2005)
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Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this bill to authorize funding for NASA programs over the next two fiscal years.
Over the years, NASA as a government agency has stream lined and reduced their cost and has done amazing research and developed innovative technology. They are a model agency which should be applauded as a role model for other government agencies to follow.
I am pleased this bill will authorize $150 million for maintenance and repair of the Hubble Space Telescope by a manned mission. As this bill states, the Hubble telescope is an "extraordinary instrument" that has given us immense understanding and knowledge about the far reaching edges of the universe since its launch in 1990.
I am also pleased this bill does not set a specific date for the retirement of the space shuttle. The shuttle has performed 113 flights since 1981, and is crucial to our vision of space exploration. While I agree we need to move beyond the shuttle at some point, we should not retire our only means for transporting humans into space without having a replacement vehicle ready to continue that mission.
One of the most important benefits NASA provides does not occur on the launch pad, in the laboratories, or in space however, but in the classrooms of schools across this country. NASA is to science and math, what the National Football League and the National Basketball Association are to amateur sports; our space program inspires high school, middle school, and even elementary school students to take an interest in math and science.
Since 1997, I have had the privilege of having NASA astronauts visit middle schools in the congressional district I represent. The interaction of these middle school students with the astronauts and the questions they ask about space and NASA, demonstrate the benefits of our space program and the impact it has in getting students excited about these subjects.
Mr. Chairman, as a member of the Houston delegation, home to the Johnson Space Center, I have been an avid supporter of NASA. As we return to flight, possibly as early as next Tuesday, this bill authorizes funding necessary to fulfill our vision for the future of the space program. I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.
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