Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. The launch today of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-135 mission is a bittersweet moment. It marks the beginning of the end of the Space Shuttle Program which has been the proud symbol of American human spaceflight leadership and accomplishment for the past 30 years said U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) following the final launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
As Texas senior-most senator Hutchison serves as the Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Commerce Science & Transportation Committee and according to numerous industry experts deserves credit for this shuttles launch even taking place.
There had been talk within some Washington D.C. cirlces during 2010 of shutting down the shuttle program after the previous mission of just a couple months ago.
It should also be a proud moment for the hardworking men and women of NASA who have done so much over the past 30 years to inspire and provide the ultimate example of what America is capable of accomplishing.
But at the same time it begins a period when this nation will no longer be able to launch humans to spaceor to the International Space Stationon U.S. launch vehicles. I am hopeful that NASA will do everything it can to speed up the delivery of Orion Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle announce plans for the development of heavy lift rockets and work together with Congress so we can embark on a new era of American dominance in manned spaceflight.
The United States cannot afford to abdicate its leadership role in space when our innovation and accomplishments have brought so much to the American economy national security and the quality of life for all mankind."
Cornyn Comments on Final U.S. Shuttle Mission
Todays launch represents a bittersweet milestone for the 30 year-old U.S. program. While many of us are sad to see the era of the shuttle come to a close we can take pride in the many accomplishments of the men and women at Johnson Space Center and those of the contractors and greater Texas community who provided critical support to the program over the past three decades.
While today marks the end of the shuttles chapter we know this is not the end of human space exploration. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Texas congressional delegation to ensure our state remains at the helm of a robust human space program which will help the U.S. maintain its competitive edge and stand as a source of pride for all Americans."
