Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today made the following statement on NASA’s “Day of Remembrance,” honoring the men and women who have given their lives and made unimaginable sacrifices for our nation’s space program:

“Today is an occasion for us to salute the energy, commitment, and undeniable courage of our nation’s astronauts. Those whose memory we honor today are examples for us all and to honor them is to honor the best of America.

“As we reflect on the significance of this day, we must also acknowledge the vision and accomplishments of the men and women of the NASA space family, whether astronauts, engineers, flight directors or assembly workers, and their families. And we thank them for nearly two generations of excellence and leadership in science and technology.

“The outstanding men and women who make up our space program have served our nation well and in their journeys into a dark sky, have given all of us a clearer vision of a better world here on earth.

“We owe it to them – and to our nation – not to abdicate our nation’s role as the leader in space exploration.”

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