Mikulski noted that GSFC has achieved many amazing feats, and remarked that what seems easy today was once considered a risky effort. Exclaiming “I love Hubble!” the Senator recalled the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) a few days before, explaining that it was GSFC leadership that drove her to be a strong advocate for repair of that important national resource.
The Senator remarked that although we are at a fork in the road for the space program, we are also experiencing a “cornucopia of opportunity.” As we consider Shuttle retirement and Constellation program restructuring, we must make sure we maintain our nation’s competitive edge in aeronautics and science. President Obama’s vision calls for a $19B appropriation for NASA, $5B of which is slated for Earth science initiatives. The Goddard community will benefit, and can be proud to be “where the world looks for Earth science expertise.”
As chair of the appropriations committee responsible for overseeing NASA, Mikulski promised to work hard to ensure the Agency’s strategy includes a number of elements. First, we must ensure the safety of our nation’s astronauts and the entire space team. In addition, NASA’s mission needs to be focused, and involve human exploration to a clear destination. We need to make sure that Agency space exploration is tied to national science objectives. Finally, we need to address the concerns of our taxpayers, including worker dislocation at certain NASA Centers, and deficit and debt worries.
“It’s not large or small government, it’s smart government” that we need, asserted Mikulski. We need to work together with civility and trust. “We’ve looked at the Earth and the stars; now we have to look each other in the eyes and do what we need to do.”
|
