sign in sign up
<<
Home , Buzz Aldrin

July 17, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5919 weight if the Trump administration pushing outward, and launching Amer- Retired Air Force General Thomas P. has its way and cuts millions off of ica back into its dominant role as the Stafford, an Oklahoman, commanded SNAP. global leader in space. We have our vi- this essential mission that enabled us That is why I encourage my col- sion. This time, we head to the red to land on the . leagues in the House and Senate to join planet by way of the Moon, and this General Stafford was born in me and fight every single attempt this time we stay. Weatherford, Oklahoma, and received a administration makes to wage war on NASA Administrator Bridenstine has Bachelor of Science degree from the people who are hungry. Working to- focused NASA on achieving these goals Naval Academy in 1952, gether is the only way we are going to with the , Apollo’s sis- graduating with honors. Commissioned be able to end hunger now. ter, and I will continue to use my posi- as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, f tion in Congress to advocate for the he completed advanced interceptor support needed for NASA to accom- training and served tours of duty flying ‘‘’’ COMMEMORATION plish this very worthwhile effort. F–86Ds. He then graduated from the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate the U.S. Air Force School as the Chair recognizes the gentleman from 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 this week, outstanding graduate. Texas (Mr. BABIN) for 5 minutes. I would like to thank all out there who Throughout his career, Stafford flew Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, 50 years helped us get to the Moon, and all more than 100 different types of air- ago, America achieved the greatest those out there who will get us back to craft as he pushed the boundaries of technological accomplishment in the Moon; and thank them for their achievement in air and space. Stafford human history. tremendous contribution to our coun- was selected as an in 1962 Three men, , Michael try. and, 3 years later, flew on Gemini 6 as , and Buzz , set off from I am anxiously looking forward to the first mission, fol- on a that Presi- the next small steps and giant leaps in lowed by Gemini 9. dent Kennedy called ‘‘the most haz- our space program. Later, General Stafford commanded ardous, and dangerous, and greatest ad- f the first international space flight mis- venture on which man has ever em- ‘‘APOLLO 11’’ CELEBRATION sion, Apollo-Soyuz. This peaceful co- barked.’’ The SPEAKER pro tempore. The operation between two Cold War rivals Four days into their 8-day mission, was the first step in what has become a Neil and Buzz climbed down the ladder Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. KENDRA S. HORN) for 5 sustained relationship between the of the lunar module and stood on the minutes. U.S., Russia, and our international surface of the Moon; the very first Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. partners with the International Space human presence on a celestial body Mr. Speaker, this week, we celebrate Station. other than Earth; a feat that, to this one of the most remarkable moments The last of the Apollo missions, its day, no other country has equaled. And in human history: The launch of the lasting impacts, reminds us that even we did it five more times. Apollo 11 lunar mission, and the first in times of warfare and global distress, Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin could steps on the Moon by American astro- that is a unifying not have accomplished this alone. Apol- nauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. force of discovery, peace, cooperation, lo 11 was the culmination of the hard American leadership, ingenuity, and and diplomacy. work of more than 400,000 Americans investment made this moment possible Beyond all his accomplishments, who, with limited experience, and com- 50 years ago. General Stafford has also become a paratively primitive technology, com- As the Space and Aeronautics Sub- friend and mentor. To General Staf- mitted themselves to accomplish this committee chairwoman, I am honored ford, and all of those who contributed task and completing President Ken- to be joined by my colleagues today to to the success of Apollo, you inspired a nedy’s order of returning the astro- recognize this achievement and talk generation and showed the world what nauts safely home. about what it means, 50 years later. As is possible when our Nation comes to- I am so proud to represent Johnson we commemorate this historic accom- gether to focus on an ambitious goal Space Center in , Texas, and plishment, it is clear that we stand on and, in turn, change the world in both the historic Mission Control of that the shoulders of space pioneers, some foreseeable and unforeseeable ways. Apollo era. of whom are still with us today. f On the wall of the House Science, Apollo 11 and Armstrong’s first steps BUILDING ON THE APOLLO Space, and Technology Committee here on the lunar surface were the culmina- LEGACY on Capitol Hill, where I serve as the tion of a focused, methodical buildup of senior Republican on the Space and the developments, demonstrations, and The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Aeronautics Subcommittee, is written, operational capabilities needed to Chair recognizes the gentleman from from the Bible, Proverbs 29:18, which achieve the . (Mr. POSEY) for 5 minutes. reads: ‘‘Where there is no vision, the The value of the is Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, it is a people perish.’’ beyond measure. Its mission inspired pleasure to be here today to speak The 50th anniversary of the first and continues to draw countless Amer- about the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. Moon landing should serve as a re- icans into science, technology, engi- I can remember sitting in class with minder of what we, as a Nation, can ac- neering and math. This program led to the teacher discussing President John complish when we do have a clear mis- significant technological advances and F. Kennedy’s speech about going to the sion. products that changed the world as we Moon at Rice University in 1961, when Six hundred million people from know it and benefit our lives today. he committed this country to putting a around the world gathered around their Fundamentally, the success of Apollo man on the Moon and bringing him grainy television sets to those contributed to our standing in the safely back to Earth within the decade. first steps. What is amazing is that this world. Apollo taught us the value of He said: Great nations do things, not took place only 40 years after Lind- taking audacious, and yet intentional because they are easy, because they are bergh first flew across the Atlantic; risks. hard. And it certainly was hard. and only 65 years after two bicycle- I would like to focus, as well, for a I remember doing the math on my making brothers from Dayton, Ohio, moment, on the mission that imme- fingers and saying, you know, I am achieved powered flight in Kitty Hawk, diately preceded the Moon landing, going to be old enough to be involved North Carolina. . This mission, launched 2 in that program. And my goal became The Apollo program built upon these months before, was launched to test all to have my fingerprints on the rocket accomplishments and exponentially of the components and procedures just that took the first man to the Moon. pushed our technology forward; and we short of landing. Carrying the lunar To make a long story short, 5 years are on the cusp of doing it again. module, it came as close as 50,000 feet later I was an inspector working on the President Trump and Vice President from the lunar surface before returning third stage of the Apollo rocket, one of PENCE have ensured that we are, again, safely to Earth. the highlights of my life.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 08:24 Jul 18, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K17JY7.008 H17JYPT1 H5920 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 17, 2019 Americans were united in those days from a common room of a boarding- come the , the mathemati- in their zeal for space; the Apollo Moon house in downtown Denver. Charlie’s cians, and the explorers who will chart landing being the greatest techno- companion was an Amish gentleman the next five decades of space research logical advancement in the history of who turned to him and asked if he and space travel. mankind. Some writers described those thought the were really Here in Congress, I am proud to sit times as a Camelot era, where people going to land on the Moon. Charlie on the Science, Space, and Technology respected their President, even if they said, yes, he was sure, because he Committee, where we continue our didn’t vote for them. Not until 9/11 had worked at a place where they made the forebearers’ legacy of bipartisan in- I seen Americans as united as they rockets that helped to get them there. vestment in our Nation’s space pro- were around the Apollo program. Charlie was a physicist who remem- gram. Apollo inspired a generation of Space, of course, is important to our bers, as a 19-year-old, President John scientists and Americans, and some national security. It is important to F. Kennedy issue his challenge to day soon, my four children may be- our economic prosperity. It is impor- America to go to the Moon. And after come space travelers themselves when tant to our technological advancement. graduating from college and getting space tourism becomes a reality. They I ask people how often they benefit married, Charlie landed a job with the will stand on the shoulders of the thou- from space, and the response usually Hughes Corporation in for sands of dedicated men and women who averages, 6 percent say they benefit a starting salary of $8,000 a year. He dreamed the impossible dream and from space once a year; 4 percent say worked on Surveyor, a NASA-funded then made it a reality. they benefit from space once a month; program that sent unmanned rockets f and only 2 percent say they benefit to the Moon. That work led to being THE PUSH FOR SPACE IS from space once a week. And we won’t hired by Martin Marietta, a Denver- ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL even go to once a day. based aerospace company. I guess those people have roosters in Charlie and his family were living The SPEAKER pro tempore. The the backyard that give them their temporarily in the boardinghouse on Chair recognizes the gentleman from weather reports. They don’t pay any the historymaking night of the Moon Florida (Mr. WALTZ) for 5 minutes. Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, 50 years attention to the images we have from landing. Charlie worked for Martin ago this week, a group of astronauts the satellites. I guess they don’t use Marietta for nearly 40 years, including launched from cell phones, or use credit cards, or even the last few years in Utah. in Merritt Island, Florida, embarking make cash transactions, because those When the Deseret News asked readers on a journey of discovery into unchart- are all satellite-linked. to answer whether they remembered Ultimately, space is important to us ered territory. where they were on , 1969, they July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took for the ultimate survival of our species. received hundreds of responses. Several one small step for man and one giant Neil deGrasse Tyson lectured our Utahns who were serving in the mili- Science, Space, and Technology Com- leap for mankind on the surface of the tary wrote in, and one wrote: ‘‘I was re- Moon. Armstrong and fellow astronaut mittee several years ago on the bene- turning from a night mission over the 1 fits of space. And while he was here, he Buzz Aldrin spent 2 ⁄2 hours collecting Ho Chi Min trail in Laos as a pilot of samples and taking photographs. Criti- gave a lecture for staff and Members a B–57. I remember it was a clear night cally and importantly, they left behind over at the Jefferson Building at the with a full Moon, and my navigator an American flag and some of the most Library of Congress; very well-attended and I were listening to the radio broad- famous footprints in history, sealing and well-taken. cast on Armed Forces radio at 30,000 America’s place as the leader of the During his presentation, he men- feet. Later, my wife and I had Neil tioned that space is the only thing space renaissance in the international Armstrong to dinner in Paris while I . Congress really spends money on to was Air Attache to France.’’ Our journey to outer space was born truly benefit the next generation, and I Another wrote: ‘‘I was at building No. out of a desire to discover, but that believe that. I believe those are trees 9 Manned Spacecraft Center, now wasn’t the only reason we went to the that we plant without the expectation called the Johnson Spacecraft Center, Moon. We also went to the Moon to of being around to enjoy all the shade. in Houston. NASA set up big TV compete with Russia, specifically re- I want to thank my colleagues on screens and chairs for NASA employees garding protecting our Nation’s secu- both sides of the aisle on the Science, and their friends. I remember the pride rity. That competition still exists Space, and Technology Committee for and accomplishment of the mission and today, but it is even more serious now helping keep space a bipartisan issue. I celebrations from NASA engineers and because of our economic and our mili- hope we can build on the legacy of contractors. I remember it like it was tary dependency on space and because, Apollo 11 and that, some day, our chil- yesterday.’’ in addition to Russia, we now have dren and their children can come to- Apollo 11 and the Moon landing was a China explicitly stating its intent to gether and enjoy positive achievements jewel in NASA’s crown at the time. It surpass America as the leader in space. for their generation and generations to set the foundation for many future Russia and China have made it clear follow. American achievements in space. their intention is not just to explore f Sixteen years later, Utah Senator space, but to prepare themselves for b 1045 Jake Garn became the first sitting conflict. Russia and China both know Member of Congress to fly in space that they will never be able to take us COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNI- when he flew aboard the on tank to tank, carrier to carrier, VERSARY OF THE ‘‘APOLLO 11’’ Discovery as a payload specialist in plane to plane, so they have decided in MOON LANDING 1985. their national security strategy to The SPEAKER pro tempore. The The closest I have gotten to the take us out in space if we ever have to Chair recognizes the gentleman from Moon—to date, anyway—is when, as come to blows. Utah (Mr. MCADAMS) for 5 minutes. the mayor of Salt Lake County, I This is why I fully support the cre- Mr. MCADAMS. Mr. Speaker, in the placed the Clark Planetarium Moon ation of the space force. This is why lead-up to the Apollo 11 Moon landing’s rock into the Zions Bank vault for space has now been declared a 50th anniversary, people across our safekeeping. The planetarium was un- warfighting domain. And if we don’t country, including many from my dergoing renovation, and we trans- prepare ourselves, our very way of life State, Utah, have been sharing their ferred our precious Moon rock under will be at significant risk. memories of this historic event and its the watchful eye of law enforcement to Our banking, our financial institu- inspiration in their lives. Some of the its secure and temporary home. tions, our global logistics, our tele- lucky ones played a role in helping the Our planetarium is one of many communications systems all depend on space program reach this historic across the country that benefits from space. So the 21st century space race is achievement. Apollo’s legacy and brings science edu- on, and America must lead, and this is Brigham Young University graduate cation to life for students in Utah. why the push for space resources and Charlie Bunker remembers watching Those students will soon hopefully be- funding today is absolutely critical.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 08:24 Jul 18, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K17JY7.010 H17JYPT1