Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) issued the following statement after today's historic launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).
"Congratulations to the NASA and SpaceX teams on the successful launch of U.S. astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS," said Babin. "This afternoon, for the first time in nearly a decade, an American rocket, launched American astronauts, from American soil.
"Since my service in Congress began in 2015, I have worked tirelessly as the Chairman, and now Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics to make the Commercial Crew program a reality. Seeing this first crewed flight take place is an incredible source of pride for me. For too long, we have been dependent on Russia to put Americans into space – that dependence ends today.
“Representing NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) – the lead center for human spaceflight – is a tremendous honor, and I'm incredibly proud of the achievements being made there every day. The hardworking men and women at JSC are now preparing for the arrival of the Demo-2 crew to the ISS tomorrow.
"Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Vice President Pence, our space program has been reignited. I'm looking forward to continuing the fight in Congress to ensure America remains the preeminent spacefaring nation in the world. With this successful launch behind us, we must now turn our focus to the rest of the mission, culminating in the safe return of these American heroes."
"Since my service in Congress began in 2015, I have worked tirelessly as the Chairman, and now Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics to make the Commercial Crew program a reality. Seeing this first crewed flight take place is an incredible source of pride for me. For too long, we have been dependent on Russia to put Americans into space – that dependence ends today.
“Representing NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) – the lead center for human spaceflight – is a tremendous honor, and I'm incredibly proud of the achievements being made there every day. The hardworking men and women at JSC are now preparing for the arrival of the Demo-2 crew to the ISS tomorrow.
"Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Vice President Pence, our space program has been reignited. I'm looking forward to continuing the fight in Congress to ensure America remains the preeminent spacefaring nation in the world. With this successful launch behind us, we must now turn our focus to the rest of the mission, culminating in the safe return of these American heroes."
