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“TRIBUTE TO MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1438 on Sept. 11, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
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HON. ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.
of alabama
in the house of representatives
Monday, September 11, 2000
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize tomorrow's 40th anniversary of the dedication by president Dwight Eisenhower of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.
Since the Marshall Center opened its doors for business under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun on July 1, 1960, it has played a pivotal role in our Nation's space program. Led by the von Braun Rocket Team, the Marshall Center developed the Mercury-Redstone vehicle that put America's first astronaut, Alan B. Shepard, into sub-orbital space in 1961. Building upon this firm foundation, Marshall and its partners boldly responded to President Kennedy's challenge to land a man on the Moon by pioneering the development of the colossal Saturn V rocket. The Marshall Center also designed and developed the Lunar Roving Vehicle, used to carry our Apollo astronauts on their journey around the then-
unknown surface of our Moon. These and other pioneering accomplishments make up a strong heritage that has made Marshall world-renowned for transportation to, from, and in space.
At a time, Mr. Speaker, when the International Space Station is being constructed 250 miles overhead, it is proper to remember that the first American manned space station, Skylab, was managed at the Marshall Center. Lessons learned from Skylab about long-term human presence in space prove today to be invaluable as we enter an era of unprecedented discovery onboard the ISS. Continuing this tradition of excellence, Marshall and its industry partners have successfully designed, developed, assembled, integrated, tested, and delivered a number of critical U.S. pressurized ISS elements such as Unity, Destiny, and the Habitation and Node 2 modules.
In 1972, following the announcement by President Nixon of plans to develop America's reusable space shuttle, Marshall again accepted its Nation's challenge by designing the shuttle's main engines, solid rocket boosters and external tank. Today, Marshall is responsible for the management of these critical shuttle systems, and is committed to continually improving their reliability, safety, and performance.
Before becoming a reality, Marshall was visualized as ``the only self-contained organization in the nation, which was capable of conducting the development of a space vehicle from the conception of the idea, through production of hardware, testing and launching operations.'' They have exceeded these expectations by not only seeing vehicles through all stages of development, but also by broadening their activities through the scientific success of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory three of NASA's great space observatories. The landmark discoveries made by their state-of-the-art scientific instruments have rewritten the science text-books that our children will use for years to come.
In addition to the many world-class facilities at Marshall that contribute to its dynamic engineering test environment, the Marshall Space Flight Center has the distinction of hosting five National Historic Landmarks as designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior. These Historic Landmarks serve as monuments to our cornerstone role in America's space program, and include the Redstone Test Stand, the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, the Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand, the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator, and one of one three surviving Saturn V rockets.
Mr. Speaker, while I stand here today to commemorate the legacy of Marshall's historic past, I also stand to celebrate the promise of its bright future. As NASA's Center of Excellence for Space Propulsion, Marshall serves as a national resource for research and development of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. Marshall has been tasked to develop propulsion systems that will lower the costs of access to space, opening the doors of space to our entire Nation. The Marshall Center's future vision includes propulsion technologies that will lead to rapid travel throughout and even beyond our solar system. And as NASA's lead center for the development of our nation's future space transportation systems, Marshall will vigorously pursue the research, technological innovations, design and integration of tomorrow's space transportation systems necessary to maintain the United States as a space, military, and economic superpower for generations to come.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize the source of Marshall's success. It is the talented and highly motivated Marshall workforce, and its industry and academic partners spread across this nation, who have taken us down this path of exceptional achievement. And I believe that our nation's space program will enjoy many more successful missions of discovery while guided by the dedication, creativity, and professionalism of the Marshall's employees and partners.
So today, with enormous pride, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, its employees, and its partners on an exceptional 40-year legacy that occupies a unique position in the history of our space program--a program that has profoundly positioned America first among nations as we begin this 21st century, and promises to enhance the quality of life for ourselves and those who follow us.
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