Press Releases
As Space Shuttle Discovery Gets Ready for Lift Off, Ruppersberger Calls for New Space Strategy
Washington, DC,
February 24, 2011
Discovery is Fueled up for Final Flight Scheduled for this Afternoon
For Immediate Release: Contact: Heather Moeder Molino As Space Shuttle Discovery Gets Ready for Lift Off, Discovery is Fueled up for Final Flight Scheduled for this Afternoon As the Space Shuttle Discovery prepares for its final flight this afternoon in Florida, Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) is calling for a new American strategy for space. President Obama announced last year he is cancelling Constellation, the plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. This move jeopardizes an $11.5 billion investment, puts thousands of skilled scientists out of work, and shakes the very heart of the space industrial base. At the same time, China and Russia are nipping at our heels. China is pumping money into its space plan, subsidizing private investments in space technology and setting its sights on a moon landing by 2020. |