Mo Brooks, Republican Congressman from Huntsville, offered his recorded testimony at a hearing of the Science, Space and Technology Committee focused on the past, present and future of the American Human Spaceflight Program.
Panel members included:
- Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon
- Captain Gene Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17
- Dr. Mike Griffin, former NASA administrator
- Dr. Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“It has been an honor and privilege to participate in a hearing involving a panel of such high caliber witnesses. Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan are true America heroes. Dr.Griffin is a former NASA administrator. Our committee could not have hoped to have more qualified and knowledgeable Americans briefing us on NASA’s past, present and future,” said Congressman Brooks.
The following remarks were the opinions of the congressional panel, in part assembled by Congressman Brooks on the topic of national security and a human spaceflight program.
“The greatest value of a civilian human spaceflight organization is its national security value,” said Griffin.
“If we sit here and watch other people develop technology, it’s going to affect our economy; it’s going to affect the marketplace. It’s not just going to affect our ability to go into space; it’s going to affect our lives,” remarked Cernan.
“Surveillance and reconnaissance are two prime things that are associated with national security, and the same skills that are required to do that on the military side are part of the human space program.
Students are never going to be inspired by things that go on on the dark side that they’ll never hear about, but they are certainly very inspired to develop the technical and scientific skills that are necessary in a civil space program,” emphasized Zuber.
In closing the hearing Brooks stated, “I Remember the day Neil Armstrong touched down on the moon and the pride I had as a teenager in our country. I pray that this Committee, this Congress and the White House will give future generations that same feeling I was blessed with."
If you have questions or comments about Congressman Brooks’ remarks, he welcomes your input at his Washington, DC office (202) 225-4392 or in Huntsville at (256) 551-0190. [Click Here] and you will be directed to Congressman Brooks' website.
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