WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Options from the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee.

 

 

Mr. Norman Augustine, Chairman of the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

 

“Let me be clear, I am not advocating that we abandon space exploration. The case, however, has not yet been made. And I think now would be an appropriate time to ask those tough questions and carefully evaluate the responses. This is no longer the era of Apollo and the Cold War where the payoffs for advancing the space and Moon agenda are entirely clear.  The President, I am sure, will continue to struggle with these same questions as he reviews the committee’s findings and options. I am committed to making sure that together we can get the answers right.”

“The Augustine Committee has presented us with several options for how to proceed.  Now the President needs to provide the visionary leadership required to continue American leadership in space exploration.  That means not just the necessary funding to take us beyond low earth orbit, but a plan to keep our workforce and industrial base engaged and productive.”

“Rather, the raison d’etre for such activity must, and in our view can, be founded upon charting a course for the expansion of civilization into the solar system. In so doing, one derives the leadership benefits of being among the world’s space-faring nations—a nation that is committed to exploration, seeking knowledge, advancing engineering capabilities, inspiring its citizens, and motivating its young people to consider careers in science and engineering. To a not inconsiderable degree it is intangibles that justify the human spaceflight program, intangibles such as those that today help maintain America as a leader among the world’s nations.”

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