Bill Nelson

A more serious concern is that the SLS/Orion combination alone is insufficient to carry out missions to any important destinations beyond low Earth orbit.

Sequestration, this meat cleaver that is hanging over the Federal budget at the end of the year, was never intended to take effect.

The value of competition is that instead of your rocket company being the only one in town, you get sharper, your prices get sharper if there is a competitor there.

Just like we did in Apollo, which was an incremental mission, starting with Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, in an environment that we did not know anything about.

We are developing a rocket called the Space Launch System. We are developing a human capsule called Orion.

This cannot happen again.

The low flight rate currently projected for SLS and Orion is a cause for concern.

Thank you very much, Senator Nelson, for inviting here because this is a spectacular result that we have a successful landing of Curiosity on the surface of Mars.

Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee today, and I look forward to any questions you have.

You have been a fearless and long-time champion in particular of education reform.

Thank you, Dr. Kennel.

I want to see this nation look back on our investment as both a great achievement and a stepping stone toward our continued scientific leadership.

And I can pretty well tell you we will.

Mr. Royston, what is CASIS doing to manage this kind of research?

What about the vaccine for the raging bacteria MRSA?

Of course, osteoporosis is a real problem here on Earth.

The American astronaut on the station now, Sunita Williams, will become the second female commander of the Space Station crew.

I would especially like to thank Senator Hutchison for your outstanding service and commitment not only to the ISS, but also to manned space flight.

Don't worry about those bells.

I will never forget that launch the first time, she being the first American woman in space.

Senator Hutchison is responsible for the American laboratory module to be designated a National Laboratory.

And I must acknowledge the junior Senator also from my great state of Florida, Senator Rubio.

And I can't help but point out that debris is getting to be a problem in space, and the Chinese really added to the debris.

Mr. Gerstenmaier, we worry about space debris and, from time to time, have to worry about lifting the orbit of the station in order to avoid space debris.

As you have to leave, Senator Hutchison, I am going to follow up asking about some things on cancer that you raised.