Space Dominance
Floor Speech
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Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues, in fact, the freshmen Members of Congress, to reach far beyond party lines, beyond State borders, and even beyond our planet. It affects every American, shaping our economy, our security, and our future. I am talking about space.
As President Trump said, you can't be number one on Earth if you are number two in space. I am going to yield to our senior Member of the freshman class this year, Vince Fong.
Congressman Fong represents the 20th District of California. He is on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Science Committee, specifically serving on the Space and Aeronautics Committee. He proudly represents the Central Valley of California.
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Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, next we have, from the great State of Alaska, the at-large Member from Alaska, Congressman Nick Begich, who is on the Natural Resources Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
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Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Begich for his thoughtful words.
I next will introduce the Congressman from the Third Congressional District in Utah. Congressman Kennedy is one of the few legislators in Washington who has both a medical degree and a law degree. He is a former Utah State Senator, he is the proud father of eight, and he will speak tonight on the issue of space and its importance in his district.
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Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind words and, more importantly, his efforts in Utah to promote the industry and make sure we have American dominance in space.
As was mentioned, I am proud to be the new chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. It is not only imperative to our district but to the Nation for so many different reasons.
I think the chart behind me is really telling the story about America today. Just a few short years ago, we ceded space dominance to other nations. We actually had to get a ride to space from, of all people, our former adversary, Russia. Here we are today, as you look at this graph, with, last year alone, 155 launches into space, 93 from the Kennedy Space Center in my home district. We are well on our way toward space dominance, and we are not slowing down.
In 2025 alone, 26 additional flights have left our skies and, of course, are orbiting around our world today, providing the telecommunications necessary not only for commercial use but for military use, as well, to make sure that our men and women are protected when GPS is essential.
Tonight, we will have yet another launch into the sky as SpaceX is propelling this movement forward.
As we recognize, space is important for our economy, infrastructure, and national defense. It enables modern life, from powering GPS communications to weather forecasting, artificial limb technology, solar cells, fire-resistant fabrics, and even medical imaging and biotechnology.
Space is research and development, and space is a return on investment. The latest estimates have a 10-1 return for taxpayers when we lead the world in space and innovative technology.
We have been in this space race before. Everyone can ask their parents, or maybe a few of us in the Congress, to know that 1969 was a life changer for so many people. When you ask those folks alive in 1969 what it was like to see a man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, making that famous proclamation, it was a game changer. We proved that anything is possible here in America. We moved forward from that with shuttle technology and, more recently, with some of the amazing advancements with SpaceX.
We are in a new space race today, unfortunately, with another communist dictatorship, that being China. The question is: Will we win that space race once again? I am confident we will do so for one simple reason: Our President is confident we can accomplish this.
Remember, our President literally created the Space Force. He is a true believer. Back in 2019, he created the Space Force because he knew that space dominance would allow us to not only improve technologically but make sure that our men and women in the military are protected.
We are confident that Artemis II, which is scheduled to go off in early 2026, will propel us to the Moon once again and beyond. We like to say: From the Lagoon to the Moon and Beyond. That is our slogan back in the Eighth District of Florida, and we are confident that that will be a reality.
It is about leadership. It is about job security. It is about economic security. It is about military security and making sure that we make the next innovations and reach the next frontier. Dominance means not just military, but it also means jobs and a brighter future for so many.
When you talk about jobs in the space industry, it is not a job to so many; it is a career. The dedicated folks at NASA are moving forward with these new technologies. They are working hand-in-hand in public- private partnerships with companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Boeing, L3Harris, and so many others, along with Northrop Grumman, to make sure that we are dominant in space so that we do not take second place in space and lose that technological dominance, which is so necessary to win this latest cold war.
Just a few years ago, we were playing catch-up. As I mentioned before, we were literally relying on the Russians to get our men and women off to the space station. Now, since 2016, we have moved forward, and as this graph shows behind me, we are once again space-dominant. It is again the great American comeback, and we are moving beyond it today.
In just a few weeks, we will see the SpaceX Dragon making sure that our men and women on the space station are returned back to Earth. More and more companies are developing space technologies so we can have satellites and space infrastructure, keeping ahead of our global competitors.
We cannot be complacent. Just because we lead today does not mean it is permanent. We must defend ourselves against China and Russia, which are not standing still. They are major competitors, and they are making important investments in trying to militarize space, despite the treaty from 1967. We must innovate. We must invest. We must push forward to keep our strong position today.
Sadly, China especially does not play by the rules. Just a few years ago, they literally on purpose created a collision that has led to so much space debris around our Earth today. We must use our technology for missile detection, surveillance and reconnaissance, and global communications to stay ahead of this communist dictatorship.
Fortunately, the U.S. Space Force, which, as I mentioned, was established in 2019, maintains our dominance and ensures that we are going to develop hypersonic defense, space-based missile interceptors, and AI-driven surveillance to keep us ahead of those adversaries. We cannot afford to fall behind because the price of inaction is just too high.
The economy of space has also grown dramatically over the last few years. In 2022 alone, it added $132 billion to the U.S. GDP. It is projected that, by 2040, it will be over $1 trillion, creating 350,000 private-sector jobs across multiple fields, including launch technicians, software developers, engineers, researchers, construction, and manufacturing everything from satellites to heat shields.
Space is not only a source of innovation but also a pillar of the American economy, fueling growth in both high-tech and blue-collar industries, as I mentioned.
Small businesses are also benefiting from this emergence. Just a few weeks ago, I had the honor of visiting a small company called Eta Space. It is a company in my district that employs 20 people, but they are having a massive impact on the changing space world. They developed a satellite that will experiment with cryogenic fuels in orbit, a key technology for orbit refueling. This innovation will pave the way for long-distance space travel, making missions to Mars and beyond more viable and more cost effective.
I might mention, as a member of the Financial Services Committee, which our Speaker is today, as well, this is an example of community banks. It was a community bank that allowed Eta Space to get the financing they needed to put this project together and lead the technological development we need to go to Mars in the future. Despite their small size, they are launching their satellite this year, a testament to the power of American ingenuity.
These public-private partnerships are key. It is not just a government program. Companies like SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Blue Origin have dramatically reduced launch costs and are saving taxpayers billions. These firms work alongside NASA and the Department of Defense, proving that the private industry of America can be a powerful force in advancing the United States' space leadership. Their success creates jobs, strengthens our national security, and keeps America at the forefront of the global space race.
Commercial space is the free market revolution. If you haven't already done so, read the recent book by Isaacson about Elon Musk. He basically looked at NASA, saw some of the challenges they faced after the Apollo program, the cancellation of our shuttle program, and even the challenges we face in the ARIES program, which was canceled, the Constellation program, which was canceled, and the X-33 program, and he said we can do it better at a better cost and win the space race. Commercial space is the future as they work in partnership with NASA.
Before SpaceX, launch costs were prohibitively high with a single mission costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Falcon 9 rocket, with its reusable booster system, has slashed costs by a factor of 10. This cost reduction has made space more accessible, spurring new industries, as I mentioned before, like satellite internet, space-based manufacturing, and even orbital tourism.
There are more players and more innovation. The Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launched recently; Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, future markets--space manufacturing, asteroid mining, and orbital energy production are all emerging technologies.
When these companies compete and innovate, they drive down costs for everyone and, more importantly, will have on-Earth benefits.
One of the issues that people have asked me about is this issue of rural broadband. For those who don't know, this is a program that has been allocated over $40 billion so that everyone, not just a select few in higher urban areas, can enjoy high-speed internet access. This program, which is allocated over $40 billion, is one which takes time, because as everyone knows who is in business, you need to get the permits. It takes a while to get the rights-of-way purchased, and it takes a while to lay that cable for high-speed internet access.
With the new Starlink system which SpaceX is launching up now, this can be not only at lower cost but, more importantly, can get to market faster so that every American can enjoy the access to high-speed internet. It will save us billions so that we can not only pay down the debt but also afford the tax cuts which Americans deserve.
In conclusion, we are in the golden age of American spaceflight. We are witnessing a true renaissance of space exploration where the future is literally being built today.
I don't know what is next. There are stories about mining asteroids for rare-earth metals to support global industries; large commercial space stations that can replace the ISS and host research; permanent human habitation on the Moon laying the foundation for deeper space travel; and the human exploration and the settlement of Mars, an achievement that will truly define this century.
These are not science fiction novels. These are active projects by American companies, American scientists, and American engineers bringing in the golden age of American spaceflight.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the urgency of action is now. America's leadership in space is hard-earned, but it is not guaranteed. Our economy, our technological future, and our national security all depend on continued space investment.
Congress must act to ensure that the United States remains the leader in the final frontier. This is our moment. If we invest in space today, then we will be stronger, safer, and more prosperous for generations to come.
As I conclude, as the President said well: You can't be number one on Earth if you are not number one in space.
Mr. Speaker, I especially thank Congressman Fong, Congressman Begich, and Congressman Kennedy for joining me tonight.
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