82R14390 JGH-F
By: J. Davis of Harris H.R. No. 1021
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, For more than 50 years, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration has played a vital role in the life of the
nation and the State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Created by Congress in 1958, NASA ushered in an era
of exciting innovations that have contributed to our nation's
security, safety, and communications; from medical advances,
including MRI and CAT scan technology, fetal heart monitors, and
programmable heart pacemakers, to explorations of space and
important scientific discoveries about our solar system and beyond,
NASA has inspired generations of Americans; and
WHEREAS, The agency has especially benefited the people of
Texas; the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston is the home of
America's astronaut corps, the site of mission control, and NASA's
lead center for the International Space Station; it employs more
than 3,300 civil servants and some 13,000 contractors and awards
$5.3 billion in annual contracts; and
WHEREAS, NASA's Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program
has helped small businesses with technical challenges, resulting in
the creation of new jobs and business ventures, and the agency's
technological breakthroughs have positively impacted all of the
state's major industries; furthermore, through such programs as
Texas Aerospace Scholars, the NASA Explorer Schools, and the
Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers, NASA has nurtured and
inspired countless young people to become scientists, engineers,
and explorers; and
WHEREAS, The year 2010 was significant for NASA as it
celebrated the passage of the NASA Authorization Act, the 10th
anniversary of the International Space Station, and the successful
completion of three shuttle missions; in 2011, the agency will
finish assembling the ISS and retire the shuttle fleet after two
more missions; and
WHEREAS, NASA is a valued and indispensible part of the
economy and culture of the Lone Star State, and Texans may indeed
take great pride in the agency's extraordinary contributions to
human knowledge, the spirit of exploration, and the progress of
science and technology; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby honor the accomplishments and ongoing legacy of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and recognize
March 31, 2011, as Space Day; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for NASA as an expression of high regard by the Texas House
of Representatives.