REP. CALVERT COMMENDS PASSAGE OF THREE HOUSE RESOLUTIONS RECOGNIZING AMERICA’S SPACE ENTERPRISE

WASHINGTON, D.C. July 10, 2008 – Congressman Calvert (R-CA) commended the passage of three House resolutions this week that recognized America’s space enterprise.

"America’s accomplishments in space are unparalleled and I was pleased that Congress recognized a few of the important dates in the history of U.S. space exploration," said Rep. Calvert, the former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and a co-sponsor of the three bills.

The three resolutions that passed the House this week include:

H. Res. 1312 - Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Space Foundation. The mission of the Space Foundation is to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable, and propel humanity. The Foundation has become the leading nonprofit organization advancing the exploration, development, and use of space and space education for the benefit of all humankind.

H. Res. 1313 - Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first American woman in space, Dr. Sally K. Ride, and honoring her contributions to the space program and to science education. Sally Ride is a native of Los Angeles, California, and a physicist by training as well as an accomplished athlete. As part of the eighth class of NASA astronauts, she was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1978, and was one of only six women in the class. On June 18, 1983, Dr. Ride was sent into space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger as part of the STS-7 crew, making her the first American woman in space.

H. Res. 1315 - Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA has conducted numerous successful missions, human and robotic. The most notable mission was the 1969 landing of a man on the moon by the Apollo 11 mission, commanded by Neil A. Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin `Buzz' Aldrin, Jr., and Command Module pilot Michael Collins. NASA has also contributed the American way of life through the advancement of communication satellites, the Global Positioning System and scientific research that has led to technologies such as heart defibrillators.

"For fifty years NASA has greatly contributed to the American way of life," stated Rep. Calvert. "I congratulate the men and women who, both past and present, made NASA the world’s premier space agency. Their commitment, intelligence and perseverance are a testament to American ingenuity. I look forward to another fifty years of NASA and the many wonders that will come from further exploration of the last frontier."

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