| |
| |
|
|
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. |
| |
|
|
Price |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 1089 was adopted by the House on April |
|
|
14, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |