Bill Nelson: “25 years ago, on April 12, 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It…”

“25 years ago, on April 12, 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It marked the beginning of a historic two day mission, and more importantly, it was the first of many future shuttle missions. I am pleased to support passage of H. Con. Res. 366, commemorating this important anniversary. I applaud the tremendous bravery of the STS-1 crew--Commander John W. Young and Pilot Robert L. Crippen--on accomplishing the mission safely and successfully. This anniversary is a testament to the thousands of people who worked to bring the Space Shuttle Program to life and to those who have sustained it throughout the years. The Space Shuttle Program brought our Nation commercial and government satellite deliveries, in-orbit satellite repairs, delivery of large science observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope, Space Lab science missions, historic dockings with the Russian Mir Space Station and assembly of the International Space Station. Since the STS-1 launch in 1981, this Nation has launched more than 100 flights. Sadly, the Challenger and Columbia were lost in 1986 and 2003, respectively. What we learned about safety in spaceflight, brought by the sacrifices of the Challenger and Columbia crews, has made our space program stronger. Today the great challenge facing our space program is one of transition. We must complete the construction of the station and retire the shuttle fleet with dignity.…”