Lamar Smith: “Human history is punctuated by explorations of the world around us. We are a nation of explorers. It is part of our…”

“Human history is punctuated by explorations of the world around us. We are a nation of explorers. It is part of our national identity, and finding new planets and looking for evidence of life beyond our Earth fascinates most Americans. The discovery of life elsewhere in the universe would alter our priorities for space exploration and affect how we view ourselves. In just the last two decades, we have confirmed the existence of 3,000 exoplanets, planets outside our solar system. Probing the cosmos encourages the next generation of young students to pursue careers in astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology. We must continue to look at the Stars. They offer us a glimpse of the past and hope for the future. ____________________”