WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing today on the future of U.S. human space flight.

Witness List:

The Honorable John P. Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mr. Neil A. Armstrong, Commander, Apollo 11, Astronaut (Ret.)

Captain Eugene A. Cernan, USN (Ret.), Commander, Apollo 17, Astronaut (Ret.)

Mr. Norman R. Augustine, Chairman, Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee

Key Quotations from Today’s Hearing:

“NASA’s first mission must be to do what is best for the nation. The American people deserve the most from their space program. NASA’s role cannot stay static. The President has challenged the United States Government to seek greater international collaboration, enable commercial services and develop new exploration technologies leading to human expansion beyond low-Earth orbit. These are good priorities and should help ensure that in tough fiscal times, we build our space future in a measured, relevant, innovative, and sustainable way. This is not easy to do but we can do it – and we must. NASA cannot continue down the same path.”

Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

“This new plan revolves around certain core strategic themes and priorities – achieving a long-needed revitalization of our technology R&D efforts, matching program goals with available resources, partnering with industry in fundamentally new and more effective ways, advancing scientific discovery, and pursuing human exploration with a more flexible, achievable, and affordable set of goals. It is designed to take us ultimately further, faster, to more places in deep space, while spurring the creation of new industries, technologies, and jobs along the way. These activities and approaches together will prove vital for the long-term sustainability of our human spaceflight activities and will help place these programs on a more stable footing for years to come.”

The Honorable John P. Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

“The President’s FY 2011 budget request is good for NASA because it sets the Agency on a sustainable path that is tightly linked to our Nation’s interests. The President recognizes that what is truly needed for beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) exploration are game-changing technologies; making the fundamental investments that will provide the foundation for the next half-century of American leadership in space exploration.”

The Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

“America has invested substantially for more than half a century to acquire a position of leadership in space. But for any organization, a public utility, an airline, a university, or an NFL team, to maintain a leadership position requires steadfast determination and a continuing investment in the future. That investment must be made wisely.”

Mr. Neil A. Armstrong, Commander, Apollo 11, Astronaut (Ret.)

“If we abdicate our leadership in space today, not only is human spaceflight and space exploration at risk, but I believe the future of this country and thus the future of our children and grandchildren are as well.”

Captain Eugene A. Cernan, USN (Ret.), Commander, Apollo 17, Astronaut (Ret.)

“It would be a disservice to NASA and to this nation to yet again initiate a space program where the means do not match the ends. Doing so merely guarantees that we will be meeting here still another time five to ten years hence. It is one thing to preserve jobs…it is another to conduct a space program. In this case, the former is easy…the latter is difficult.”

Mr. Norman R. Augustine, Chairman, Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee

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