1:00 P.M. EST
MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon. Happy New Year to you all, as
well. The President today, on behalf of our nation, called to
congratulate NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe and the jet propulsion
laboratory team on the successful landing of the Rover Spirit on Mars.
The President thanked the NASA team for their hard work and ingenuity,
and for reaffirming the great spirit of American exploration. The
President shares in the excitement of all Americans as we see the
dramatic images from Spirit’s new home and we know that it is only a
glimpse of the things to come as Spirit begins its historic trek across
the Mars landscape.
The President is strongly committed to the exploration of space,
and thanks to the great work of those at NASA, America continues to be
on the leading edge of exploration and discovery. I think the Rover
embodies the best of American ingenuity, technical know-how and can-do
spirit.
And with that, I will be glad to go into your questions.
Q Speaking of the President being strongly committed to the
exploration of space, since you’re on that, is there anything that the
President is going to say about — does he have any new ideas about
space, any new goals to set?
MR. McCLELLAN: There’s no update to what the President has
previously said and what I have previously said, that, as you are
aware, in the aftermath of the tragic Columbia accident, the President
asked — or directed his administration to review our space policy, and
that is where it stands.
Q Have any recommendations come to him, or do you know where
that stands, where that process is?
MR. McCLELLAN: The review has been moving forward, and I have no
additional update at this time.
