Nick Lampson: “Mr. Chairman, why on Earth do we spend money in space? Mr. Chairman, when a young President, John Kennedy, described his…”

“Mr. Chairman, why on Earth do we spend money in space? Mr. Chairman, when a young President, John Kennedy, described his vision in 1961 of landing a man on the moon, he encountered also many skeptics. Some said it could not be done. Some said it would cost too much money. But when I watched Neil Armstrong take his first step on to the moon eight years later, I knew the naysayers were wrong, and so did my high school students, who huddled around the television set with me that unforgettable day. I saw the gleam in their eyes that inspired them to become our future engineers and future scientists. So why on earth do we spend money in space? So our kids will have a dream to dream. Space exploration has evolved over the last 30 years to more than just romantic notions of collecting moon rocks and taking pictures of other planets in our solar system. Scientific studies conducted in space have led to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of practical applications here on earth, as this graph here illustrates. In fact, financing research projects in space is one of the best investments our Nation can make. For each tax dollar we spend in space, we get a $9 return here on earth in new products, in new technologies, in new improvements for millions of people around the world.”