Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science—the subcommittee responsible for NASA funding—released the following statement on the successful launch of the Orion spacecraft today. Fattah has been a long-time supporter of increased funding for the Orion mission that seeks to eventually land a spacecraft on Mars:
“Today marks a historic day for NASA and the future of American space exploration. Not since the Apollo missions, more than four decades ago, has the United States launched a spacecraft built to carry humans into deep space.
“Orion’s successful liftoff would not have happened without the leadership and vision of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, the tireless work of NASA’s engineers and scientists, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and the involvement of small business partners across the country. Their combined efforts and talent have made this exploration mission possible today.
“This milestone was years in the making, and now offers us a critical first step in our return to deep space exploration. I look forward to continuing to work with NASA and championing funding for future Orion missions. Not only are these efforts critical to our nation’s advancement of science, technology, and space discovery, they will have untold benefits to our country’s economic and national security interests.”
