David Weldon: “I would like this afternoon to talk about NASA and the recent report regarding the Mars program, as well as a recent…”

“I would like this afternoon to talk about NASA and the recent report regarding the Mars program, as well as a recent poll taken by the Zogby Organization. As most Americans know, NASA and its efforts to put a man on the moon and our space shuttle from become an integral part of America's history, and as well American culture. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that NASA and its exploits in space is a tremendous motivating factor for young people to study math and science. Indeed, there is an entire generation of Americans who now work in areas of high technology, science and mathematics who were originally naturally motivated to get involved in that arena because of the space race and the tremendous attraction of space. Indeed, when I travel around the United States and talk to teachers, one of the things I hear over and over again when I tell them where I am from, which is an area of Florida that includes Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, when I tell them that, they invariably tell me that one of the things that helps them in motivating their kids to take an interest in the study of math and science is the space program and talking to them about the applications of our space program to the future.”