83R20504 JGH-D
By: J. Davis of Harris H.R. No. 1432
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is the
American headquarters for the International Space Station, one of
the most impressive scientific and engineering achievements in
history; and
WHEREAS, A joint project of NASA, the Russian Federal Space
Agency, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the ISS is the result of a
remarkable collaboration between 15 countries, sharing the most
advanced technologies in the world for the peaceful and productive
use of space, and thousands of Texas workers have contributed
greatly to this success; and
WHEREAS, The largest structure that humans have ever put into
space, the ISS is made up of pressurized modules held together by
external trusses and powered by a vast array of solar panels; the
station is the length of a football field, and the solar array has
the wingspan of a Boeing 777; orbiting the globe every 92 minutes at
an altitude of roughly 250 miles, the ISS is large enough to be seen
from the surface of the Earth by the naked eye; and
WHEREAS, Since November 2000, the ISS has been continuously
occupied by international teams of astronauts who, during that
time, have conducted thousands of experiments in a microgravity
environment, focusing on human health, space studies, engineering
development, materials testing, and global education; these
experiments are helping develop NASA's capabilities for such
long-duration, deep-space missions as a trip to Mars and back, and
are assisting businesses, other government agencies, and
university researchers develop knowledge and products that have and
will result in benefits to humanity for years to come; and
WHEREAS, With its many ongoing research projects and its
educational outreach touching the lives of people around the world,
the International Space Station is one of the global community's
most successful programs, helping to improve life on Earth even as
it inspires our species to reach for the stars; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby commend NASA for its achievements as part of the
International Space Station program and extend to the many Texans
who have given to it so much of their skill, effort, and passion
sincere best wishes for continued success in their important work;
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.