WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) today welcomed home STS-114 commander Col. Eileen Collins and her crew, and congratulated them and the entire the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) team on a successful Shuttle mission.

“First of all, congratulations to Col. Eileen Collins, her crew and the entire NASA team,” said Chairman Boehlert.  “I’m personally ecstatic about the success of the mission.  We’ve had the return, the reunion and the reflection and now it’s back to work.  We have a number of challenges ahead and future Shuttle flights are suspended until the foam problem can be adequately addressed.  But I have full confidence in the NASA team’s ability to address those challenges and return our nation to flight.”

Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) said, “Congratulations to the Discovery crew and the entire NASA team for a successful mission.  The brave astronauts, led by Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins, did a wonderful job of testing the new safety equipment and bringing needed supplies to the ISS.  Although NASA must evaluate the integrity of the foam insulation during launch, a problem it had already been working on, the new video monitoring and safety protocols allowed the Discovery crew to look closely at any damage caused during launch and to repair it successfully.

“This was a test flight and it gave NASA a better understanding of how to solve the Shuttle’s perplexities for future launches.  Ultimately, however, I know we must retire the Shuttle and replace it with a new vehicle.  I am confident that NASA Administrator Mike Griffin will work toward a new Crew Exploration Vehicle that will allow America to continue leading the world in human space flight.”