DeLay: The Space Shuttle Will Fly Again; It's Time Our Space Program Took on a New Mission

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

DeLay: The Space Shuttle Will Fly Again; It's Time Our Space Program Took on a New Mission

12/17/03 5:39:00 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: National Desk

Contact: Stuart Roy or Jonathan Grella, 202-225-4000, both of the Office of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay SUGAR LAND, Texas, Dec. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today called for the expansion of the United States space program, beginning with the return of man to the moon.

"It's time our space program took on a new mission, a new vision, a new calling," DeLay said. "In an age of dynamic technological advancement and military uncertainty, a national commitment to space is not a voluntary initiative: it is a strategic imperative.

"Whether it's to serve as a base for new research or a staging area for expeditions to Mars or even outside our own solar system, America must establish a more robust and permanent human presence in space, starting with our return to the moon.

"Too many great questions remain unanswered, and mankind will not answer them without an intrepid commitment by the American people to conquer the unknown," DeLay said. "And the first step is our return to the moon.

"The shuttle will fly again. The next generation of manned spaceflight will take NASA to new heights. Things we learn in space have application for further exploration of course, but also for improving the quality of our lives here on earth."

DeLay's current suburban Houston congressional district is a neighbor of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Most JSC employees reside in DeLay's district.

[conserv13]

I think the shuttle should be retired, manned space orbits are expensive and don't really give us any information that an unmanned mission can't. I guess if we have to go adjust Hubble or something send a guy up, but other than that - I say scrap it.

[bvw]

If you look at the history of the Texas Rangers, you'll see that for a time, they disbanded. Why? Because Texas had become run by corrupt politicians. The Rangers cameback when the State got it;s act together.

Sure we can go back to the moon. But not until we disband NASA for some years, and then build up a healthy replacement.

And that replacement, on the Federal side, should be tiny, effective and stay so both. Time to let private industry make the big advances in space.