Ron Kind: “last Saturday our Nation lost seven American heroes. I rise today to offer condolences to the families and friends of…”

“last Saturday our Nation lost seven American heroes. I rise today to offer condolences to the families and friends of the seven astronauts aboard the Columbia on its fateful mission, one of whom was Wisconsin' pride and joy, Laurel Clark, who was a graduate of Racine's William Horlick High School and a UW-Madison graduate. We share the sympathies of all Americans for their dedication and bravery and service to our Nation. This tragedy does remind us, however, that space travel is anything but routine. It really is rocket science. When we work on the cutting edge of science and technology, perfection is never guaranteed and chance is always a factor, no matter how much time, money, or expertise is invested. That is why we owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid to those brave men and women involved in our space program for the risks they take to explore our last remaining frontier. Last December, Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to visit Kennedy Space Center. I had a chance to meet with a lot of the scientists, engineers, and some of the astronauts on the shuttle missions. I walked away from that experience with a profound sense of appreciation, given the dedication and professionalism that our team, the NASA team, brings to their job every single day, and a greater appreciation of how terribly dangerous space travel still is yet today. Some may wonder why we need to go to space. I believe we do it because we have no other option.”