Sherwood Boehlert: “I will insert this wonderful statement, developed by a very capable staff, in the Record, but let me just speak a couple…”

“I will insert this wonderful statement, developed by a very capable staff, in the Record, but let me just speak a couple of minutes about something that I think is really important. While we salute the magnificent team of people that made STS-114 possible, and I am not just talking about Colonel Collins and her crew, I am talking about all those dedicated professionals in NASA all over the country. They are a part of a team that developed the success story, but I want to salute the American taxpayers for supporting this mission with their hard-earned tax dollars. A lot of people will say to me what is all this about space, this Buck Rogers stuff, flying in the heavens? I will tell my colleagues what it is about. It is about finding new ways, better ways, to do things for the most important planet in the universe, the one we live on, the planet Earth. We derive so much from that investment in space right here at home on the planet Earth, and Colonel Collins and all the other team provide a constant source of inspiration to our young people to pursue career opportunities, to master the science and math disciplines. It is wonderful. And if the United States of America hopes to maintain its preeminent position in the international marketplace, we have got to do better. What better example of what can be achieved than the dedicated, committed, outstanding crew of Space Transportation System 114?…”