Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 1243 Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 30, 2020 Mr. WEBER of Texas (for himself, Mr. POSEY, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. BEYER, and Ms. WEXTON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology RESOLUTION Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station. Whereas, since November 2000, the International Space Sta- tion (ISS) has been continuously occupied by more than 240 astronauts from the United States and other coun- tries, during that time, have conducted over 3,000 experi- ments in microgravity environment, focusing on human health, exploration, space studies, engineering develop- ment, and materials testing; Whereas the activities conducted on the ISS continue to help develop the National Aeronautics and Space Administra- tion’s (NASA) capabilities for long-duration, deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars, and are assisting busi- nesses, other government agencies, and university re- VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:14 Dec 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH HR1243 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 1243 IH searchers to develop knowledge and products that have and will result in benefits to humanity for years to come; Whereas with its many ongoing research projects and its edu- cational outreach touching the lives of people around the world, the ISS is the world’s preeminent spaceflight pro- gram today, helping to improve life on Earth even as it inspires our species to reach for the stars; Whereas as a joint project of the NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the ISS is the result of a remarkable collabora- tion between 15 countries, sharing the most advanced technologies in the world for the peaceful and the produc- tive use of space; Whereas NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is the American headquarters for the ISS, one of the most impressive scientific and engineering achievements in history; Whereas NASA’s industry contractors and suppliers who helped design, build, integrate, and now operate the sta- tion have provided a critical service to the United States and NASA, as well as international partner agencies and the astronaut crews that have lived and served aboard the ISS for over 20 years; Whereas as the largest structure that humans have ever put into space, the ISS is made up of pressurized modules held together by external trusses and powered by a vast array of solar panels; Whereas the ISS is the length of a football field, and the solar array has the wingspan of a Boeing 777; VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:14 Dec 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH HR1243 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 1243 IH Whereas orbiting the globe every 92 minutes at an altitude of roughly 250 miles, the ISS is large enough to be seen from the surface of the Earth by the naked eye; Whereas the ISS has been significantly upgraded to allow for an extension of its mission to enable cutting edge re- search; Whereas the ISS is the key enabler of commercial opportuni- ties in low-Earth orbit; Whereas the ISS platform is essential to furthering human exploration by providing critical research and system test- ing for upcoming crewed exploration missions to the Moon and Mars; and Whereas the ISS is critical to maintaining United States leadership in low-Earth orbit: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes the 20th anniversary of the 2 International Space Station (ISS); 3 (2) commends the National Aeronautics and 4 Space Administration (NASA) for its achievements 5 as part of the ISS program and the Americans who 6 have given to it so much of their skill, effort, and 7 passion; 8 (3) recognizes the many men and women sup- 9 porting ISS operations on the ground that enable 10 the continued safe utilization of the ISS; 11 (4) recognizes the more than 240 United States 12 and international astronauts that have lived and 13 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:14 Dec 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH HR1243 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 1243 IH worked aboard the ISS to help build, integrate, oper- 1 ate, and maintain the ISS; 2 (5) recognizes the importance of the ISS for 3 scientific discovery, human exploration, and inter- 4 national cooperation; and 5 (6) recognizes the importance of maintaining 6 operation of the ISS as a national capability that 7 serves a critical service to a range of government 8 and commercial users. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:14 Dec 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH HR1243 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS