Charles "Pete" Conrad Astronomy Awards Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the

bill (H.R. 912) to authorize the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to establish an awards program in honor of Charles ``Pete'' Conrad, astronaut and space scientist, for recognizing the discoveries made by amateur astronomers of asteroids with near-Earth orbit trajectories, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 912, as amended, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics of the Committee on Science, I have made the threat posed by near-Earth objects one of my top priorities. The hearings of our subcommittee have revealed that monitoring and tracking near-Earth objects, that is, NEOs, such as comets and asteroids, not only advance astronomy, but are critical in identifying the near-Earth objects that may threaten the Earth.

Mr. Speaker, recent press accounts of asteroids passing close to Earth have raised public awareness of the possibility that one day one of these objects could hit the Earth with potential catastrophic consequences. Given the vast number of asteroids and comets that inhabit the Earth's neighborhood, greater efforts for tracking and monitoring these objects are critical.

This is why I rise in support of the amendment to H.R. 912, the Charles ``Pete'' Conrad Astronomy Awards Act. This amendment does not alter the intent of the original bill, but clarifies what the awards program is and the role and responsibility of NASA and the Smithsonian's Minor Planet Center. We have worked with NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, and our colleagues across the aisle to make these improvements; and I thank them for all their help and support. H.R. 912 authorizes the NASA administrator to give one award each year to the amateur astronomer or to the group of amateur astronomers who discovered the intrinsically brightest near-Earth asteroid among the near-Earth asteroids discovered during that preceding year by amateur astronomers and another award to the amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who made the greatest contribution during the preceding year to the Minor Planet Center's catalogue of known asteroids. The recipients of the awards in the amount of $3,000 are limited to U.S. citizens and, yes, also permanent residents.

This bill is a tribute to Pete Conrad for his tremendous contributions to our country, to the world, and to the aerospace community over the last 4 decades. Pete Conrad was a pilot, an explorer, and an entrepreneur of the highest caliber. He commanded Apollo XII, and during that mission he became the third man to walk on the Moon. He saw space as a place to get to, to explore, and to do business. Space exploration and commercialization is what he did. It was his job to explore the Moon. He then worked to develop new spacecraft and space transportation systems. An interesting aside, analysis of an orbiting object identified by an amateur astronomer suggests that it is the remains of a Saturn V rocket, third stage, which most likely came from Pete Conrad's Apollo mission.

So I find no better way to honor Pete Conrad than to establish an annual astronomers award for future asteroid discoveries in his name. He always wanted people to be looking up. He was a positive ``can-do'' American. He exemplified the American spirit, and he was often remembered, of course, for not only his own walk on the Moon but his historic description of the landing on the Moon.

Of course, the threat of an asteroid hitting the world is a serious matter, and the idea of a catastrophic asteroid or comet impacting on the Earth has, of course, gained the attention of the media and the popular culture in films like ``Armageddon'' and ``Deep Impact'' of a few years ago, but it is vital for all of us to realize this is not just for the movies. This is not science fiction. We all know that the Earth's moon and many other planetary bodies in our solar system are covered with impact craters. Most people have heard of the dinosaur extinction theory or perhaps seen pictures of the meteor crater in Arizona. However remote the possibility of a near-Earth object striking the Earth and causing a worldwide calamity, no matter how obscure or how remote that is, there is a threat, a calculable threat.

And while the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs is estimated to occur only once every 100 million years, smaller, yet still hazardous, asteroids impact the Earth much more frequently. For example, the destructive force of the 1908 asteroid strike in Siberia was roughly equal to a 10-megaton blast of TNT. The asteroid that hit South America in the 1930s was of similar magnitude. The asteroid that struck Central Asia in the 1940s was a large impact. In 1996, satellites detected a high-altitude burst over Greenland involving an asteroid which would have had the destructive force measuring 100 kilotons of TNT.

Ironically, if we look at asteroids from the perspective of our national goals in space, they also offer us not just a threat but also unique opportunities. In terms of pure science, asteroids are geological time capsules from the era when our solar system was formed. Even better, they are orbiting mines of metals, of minerals, and other resources that can be possibly used to build large structures in space without having to carry up the material to build those structures from Earth. So far NASA has surveyed 600 asteroids, but this is a fraction of the projected total population of asteroids and near-Earth objects. What needs to be done now is to fully understand near-Earth objects and the potential threat and, yes, the potential use that they could pose to the world.

In closing, asteroids deserve a lot more attention from the scientific community and from the American people. The first step is through tracking all sizable near-Earth objects, and H.R. 912 is a modest step toward this goal.

I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 912, which will encourage young people in particular to start looking into the stars and get involved personally in America's space program.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Pete Conrad Astronomy Act, and commend the Chairman of the Space Subcommittee for his creativity and leadership in promoting space exploration.

This Act will reward individuals who through their hard work and dedication have made fundamental contributions to our knowledge of the universe. This Act will stimulate interest in space exploration--a field that helps keep this nation on the cutting edge of technology and captivates young minds. Discoveries made by amateur astronomers have helped with the enormous task of cataloguing the many asteroids and small bodies that share the solar system with us. Those amateur astronomers deserve to be rewarded. It is a valuable service to this nation and to the world, and should be encouraged. This Act will do both.

I would like to thank Chairman Rohrabacher for working with me to address one small concern that I had when this bill went through markup in the Science Committee. People come from around the world to study at our great colleges and universities. They are often some of the best and brightest from their home countries. They pay high tuitions as international students. They often bring money into our communities. But the most important reason they are invited is because they bring diverse viewpoints and perspectives. They enrich the experience of our own students.

As the bill is written, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for an award. This is fair, since we are trying to encourage Americans to get interested in space and science. However, these awards also offer an opportunity to foster collaborations and international partnerships that will be valuable for all parties in the future. We have therefore agreed on report language for this bill that will foster collaborative efforts.

If a group of amateur astronomers makes a great discovery, deemed worthy of a Pete Conrad Award, and if that group has international students in it--the Administrator of NASA will be able to give those foreign students a certificate or other token of appreciation. Although the monetary reward will be reserved for the Americans in the group, at least the foreign students will be recognized for their contributions. This seems only fair.

Again, I thank the Chairman for working with me on this issue. I support the bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, between Sunday February 29 and Wednesday March 3, 2004, I traveled to Libya as part of a Congressional Delegation led by Representative Weldon and as Member of the House International Relations Committee and the Middle East Subcommittee.

While there, we had the opportunity to meet with Col. Mohammar Qaddafi and members of the Libyan People's Congress to discuss Libya's recent renouncement of state sponsored terror and their development of weapons of mass destruction.

Mr. Speaker, this prospective opening to the West is not a mystical revision, but a practical decision by the Libyan Government. It must be met with an equally practical policy of one very wary step at a time.

While there, it became clear the Libyan possibility for peaceful regime conversion and rehabilitation gravely underscores the inherent stakes of succeeding in the Iraqi regime change and reconstruction. If the latter fails, the former fades, and we are all worse than we were at square one.

Unfortunately, my participation in this trip forced me to miss a few votes.

During this time I missed six recorded votes. If I was present I would have voted the following way:

On H.R. 3769, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 137 East Young High Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the ``Ben Atchley Post Office Building''. Roll Number 32, I would have voted ``yes.''

On H. Res. 526, expressing the sympathy of the House of Representatives for the victims of the devastating earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2003, in Bam, Iran. Roll Number 33, I would have voted ``yes.''

On H. Res 530, urging the appropriate representative of the United States to the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to introduce a resolution calling upon the Government of the People's Republic of China to end its human rights violations in China, and for other purposes. Roll Number 34, I would have voted ``yes.''

On H.R. 912, Charles ``Pete'' Conrad Astronomy Awards Act. Roll Number 35, I would have voted ``yes.''

On H.R. 3389, to amend the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to permit Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards to be made to nonprofit organizations. Roll Number 36, I would have voted ``yes.''

On H.R. 1417, Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2003 Roll Number 37, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support for the bill presented by the gentleman from California (Chairman Rohrabacher), H.R. 912.

I know that my good friend the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) has had a long interest in Near Earth Objects and the potential threat they could pose to our civilization at some point in the future. Moreover, the Committee on Science has been active on a bipartisan basis since at least the early 1990s in trying to draw attention to this issue. At that time, former Chairman George Brown, Jr., held a series of hearings and drafted legislation to establish a NEO detection and cataloging within NASA.

H.R. 912 recognizes that amateur astronomers also can play a significant role in the detection of Earth orbit crossing asteroids and comets and provides a constructive way to reward their efforts.

A previous version of the bill passed the House last Congress, so I do not believe this legislation should be at all controversial. I urge the adoption by the House, and look forward to its speedy enactment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 35, due to urgent constituent support commitments in my Congressional District, I missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''