Bill Text: TX HR1089 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first American manned spaceflight and commending the contributions that Texans have made to U.S. space exploration.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2011-04-19 - Reported enrolled [HR1089 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HR1089-Introduced.html

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82R15476 JGH-D
By: Price H.R. No. 1089

R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, May 5, 2011, is the 50th anniversary of the first
flight by an American into space, and this occasion provides a
fitting opportunity to celebrate the role that Texans have played
in our nation's achievements in manned spaceflight; and
WHEREAS, On May 5, 1961, Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard
became the first U.S. citizen in space when he soared to an altitude
of 116 miles above the earth's surface aboard Freedom 7; formerly a
navy pilot, Commander Shepard had received his initial flight
training in Corpus Christi, and since that historic first mission,
more than 50 other individuals with connections to the Lone Star
State have been members of the NASA astronaut corps; and
WHEREAS, Texans who have flown in space include Gemini
astronauts David Scott and Edward White, Apollo astronauts Alan
Bean and Edgar Mitchell, and space shuttle astronauts Jeffrey
Ashby, John Blaha, Kenneth Cockrell, John Creighton, Robert
Crippen, John Fabian, William Fisher, Patrick Forrester, Bernard
Harris, Rick Husband, Robert Kimbrough, Paul Lockhart, and Richard
Mullane; in addition, Timothy Kopra and Shannon Walker served
aboard the International Space Station, and of the nine men and
women selected for the 2009 astronaut candidate class, three are
from Texas--Serena Aunon, Kjell Lindgren, and Mark Vande Hei; and
WHEREAS, Since September 1963, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space
Center in Houston has played an essential role in manned
spaceflight; it has served as mission control for the Gemini,
Apollo, and space shuttle programs, the home base and training
center for the nation's astronaut corps, and the lead center for
space shuttle activities and NASA's participation in the
International Space Station; and
WHEREAS, In the half-century since Alan Shepard first rose
above the atmosphere of our planet, countless Texans have helped to
make America the leader in manned spaceflight, creating a legacy of
achievement that will be remembered and admired as humankind
continues its quest to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first
U.S. manned spaceflight and commend all the Texans, past and
present, who have contributed to our nation's accomplishments in
space exploration.