posted 04-15-2011 06:20 PM               

Congressman Jason Chaffetz release

Chaffetz Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Direct One of Four Orbiters to Houston

"Okay, Houston, We've Had a Problem Here" -- John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr. (Apollo XIII)

Yesterday, Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced HR 1536, the "Space Shuttle Retirement Act." The bill would establish sites in Texas, Florida, California, and Virginia (Smithsonian Museum) as the final homes of retiring NASA Space Shuttles. Original bipartisan cosponsors of the legislation include Representatives Bill Posey (R-FL), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Gene Green (D-TX), Sandy Adams (R-FL), Pete Olson (R-TX), Al Green (D-TX), Rich Nugent (R-FL), and Ted Poe (R-TX).

NASA was created by Congress in 1958. This federal agency remains under the purview of Congress. Congress has an obligation to determine the retirement location of NASA shuttles, as these American icons are owned by taxpayers.

"After hearing many of my colleagues in Congress cry out: 'Earth to NASA,' I am seeking to restore common sense and fairness to the Space Shuttle retirement home debate," said Congressman Chaffetz. "Instead of relying on political guidance systems, these decisions must be steered by history and logic. My legislation would designate the retirement home of the three Space Shuttles based on the location and history of the Shuttles' launches, landings, and mission support, the fourth based on the Smithsonian's role in preserving American artifacts."

The bill designates the homes of NASA's retiring Space Shuttles as follows:

• Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas: Shuttle Endeavour

• The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Virginia: Shuttle Discovery

• The California Science Center in Los Angeles, California: Shuttle Enterprise

• The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Florida: Shuttle Atlantis

On April 12, 2011, NASA announced the names of the four institutions where the retired space shuttle orbiters would be placed on permanent display. Despite the critical role that Texas has played in the space program, it was overlooked by NASA as a final home for one of the four orbiters. The decision to place a fourth orbiter in New York was widely panned. This bill corrects the Administration's omission.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee release

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Al Green Introduce Legislation to Override NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter Placement Decision

Legislation Would Move Orbiter To Houston!

Today, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a longtime advocate for NASA and former member of the House Science Committee, and Congressman Al Green, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, introduced legislation that would temporarily loan the Space Shuttle Discovery to the Space Center Houston for 15 years. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee issued the following statement regarding her legislation:

"Both Houstonians and millions of Americans across the country were devastated this past week by the news that Space Center Houston was not selected to be a permanent home to one of the space shuttle orbiters. This legislation is in line with the official designation that allows the federal government to provide assistance to NASA centers that were drastically impacted by the diminished NASA mission. This legislation would temporarily set aside the decision to dispose of the Discovery shuttle and instruct Gen. Bolden and NASA to temporarily "loan" the Discovery shuttle to the appropriate location in Houston, Texas for a period of 15 years. This legislation fits squarely under that interpretation."

"The Smithsonian is America's museum. Over the years of their history, they have readily loaned major U.S. artifacts to the American people. What better community to host an orbiter than Houston, Texas. This is common sense legislation that no one should oppose. The next step is to set a meeting with General Bolden, representatives of the White House, and the leadership of the Smithsonian Museum to secure their agreement for this very sensible approach that will pay tribute to the families whose loved ones lost their lives in service to their Nation. We expect to have the support and advocacy of all of our colleagues. Several Members of Congress who do not live in Texas were shocked by the loss of the orbiter to Houston. Therefore, I am delighted to introduce this bi-partisan legislation that creates the right kind of solution. America is a great country. It is a fair country, and this is a solution that is both great and fair."

Congressman Al Green issued the following statement on the legislation:

"The goal of this bill is to reverse an unjust decision which would have an adverse economic impact on the city of Houston. The Johnson Space Center (JSC) and its committed workforce have been a key component of the space shuttle program since it started in the 1980's. Additionally, the successful monitoring of more than 100 missions from JSC and the fact that Houston, as well as its surrounding areas, have been the training grounds and home for our admired and beloved astronaut corps, are proof that we have provided America with an invaluable service that has made our country the world leader in space exploration. These facts should serve as enough merit for JSC to receive 'Discovery' but we must also keep in mind that, if one of the space shuttle orbiters were sent to JSC, NASA would actually be giving the American people a better set of options to view and learn about the shuttle fleet from a geographic standpoint. "

"Considering 'Enterprise' will be on display at the California Science Center; 'Atlantis' will be showcased at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, and 'Discovery' and 'Endeavour' are scheduled to be sent to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington (DC) and to New York's Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, respectively, the west and the east coast regions get a shuttle, whereas the northeast region gets two. I think it would be much more beneficial for the American people that the Midwest region would receive one of these legendary space vehicles. Based on this rationale, JSC is the most logical and deserving destination."

Additionally, any costs associated with the relocation of the shuttle will come from the appropriations allocated to NASA for the purposes of transitioning the shuttles. This week, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Al Green also wrote a letter to Administrator Bolden expressing their disappointment with his decision, and asking him to consider loaning the orbiter to Space Center Houston.

posted 04-16-2011 12:17 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Fra Mauro:
...the need to attract tourists with the down scaling of our manned space program.

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Here's a good idea: Fight for where the shuttles are going instead of focusing on stemming the aerospace job losses.