The following statement can be attributed to American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) President Roger Simpson:
“The successful launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery today represents another milestone in NASA’s Return to Flight efforts. We congratulate NASA and its partners on this accomplishment and look forward to the mission achieving its goals. A successful mission will pave the way for regular flights of the Space Shuttle necessary to complete the U.S. work on the International Space Station. And, it will be a significant step toward realizing the President’s Vision for Space Exploration. As the expert crew of the STS-121 tests new equipment and procedures during their mission, their work will be critical to preparing for the challenges of exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
Headquartered in suburban Washington, DC, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) serves over 35,000 members in 65 regional sections and 79 countries. AIAA membership is drawn from all levels of industry, academia, private research organizations, and government and focuses on emerging technologies in aviation, space and defense. For more information visit www.aiaa.org.
