Wednesday marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of Columbia on STS-1, the first shuttle mission. In recognition of that milestone, Congress passed late last week a resolution congratulating NASA for the anniversary. The resolution, H.Con.Res 366, also honors the crew of STS-1, John Young and Robert Crippen, and “commends the men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and all those supporting America’s space program for their accomplishments and their role in inspiring the American people.” The resolution was approved by the House on a 422-0 vote on Thursday, and passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on Friday.
The House Science Committee issued a press release about the passage of the resolution, but since it’s not yet available on the committee’s web site, I’ve included it below after the jump.
HOUSE HONORS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM WITH UNANIMOUS VOTE
WASHINGTON – By a unanimous vote of 422 to 0, the House of Representatives last night passed H.Con.Res. 366, a resolution congratulating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the 25th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle launch.
The resolution was introduced by Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA). Chairman Calvert, who managed floor debate on the resolution, delivered the following statement:
“Mr. Speaker, on April 12, 1981, two American heroes, Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen were strapped into their seats of the Space Shuttle Columbia and took off into history, orbiting the Earth for 54 hours, 20 minutes and 53 seconds. This was the boldest test flight in history!
“The space shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft to be flown into orbit without the benefit of previous unmanned orbital test flights and was the first spacecraft to land on a conventional runway at Edwards Air Force Base in my home state of California. Like the explorers, Lewis and Clark who explored our great Nation and who opened up the West, John Young and Robert Crippen opened a new era of human exploration beyond our planet Earth. Now as we move forward with the Vision for Space Exploration, the successful Return-to-Flight of the Space Shuttle represents the first step toward going to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
“Today, as a nation, we want to pay tribute to the National Space and Aeronautics Administration on the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the Space Shuttle; we want to honor Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen, who flew the first Space Shuttle Columbia on April 12-14, 1981 on its first orbital test flight; and we want to commend the men and women of NASA and our aerospace industry for their roles in inspiring the American people. This is what provides the inspiration to our next generation to study math and science! This is what keeps our Nation competitive!
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”
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