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

12/17/2003

From: Stuart Roy or Jonathan Grella, 202-225-4000, both of the Office of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay SUGAR LAND, Texas, Dec. 17 -- 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.