DeLay: The Space Shuttle Will Fly Again; It’s Time Our Space Program Took on a New Mission

“It’s time our space program took on a new mission, a new vision, a new calling,” DeLay said. “In an age of dynamic technological advancement and military uncertainty, a national commitment to space is not a voluntary initiative: it is a strategic imperative.

“Whether it’s to serve as a base for new research or a staging area for expeditions to Mars or even outside our own solar system, America must establish a more robust and permanent human presence in space, starting with our return to the moon.

“Too many great questions remain unanswered, and mankind will not answer them without an intrepid commitment by the American people to conquer the unknown,” DeLay said. “And the first step is our return to the moon.

“The shuttle will fly again. The next generation of manned spaceflight will take NASA to new heights. Things we learn in space have application for further exploration of course, but also for improving the quality of our lives here on earth.”

DeLay’s current suburban Houston congressional district is a neighbor of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC). Most JSC employees reside in DeLay’s district. http://www.usnewswire.com