NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time and for bringing this bill to the floor in an expeditious fashion. I want to thank the committee members. I want to thank my 291 co- sponsors. I especially want to thank an extraordinarily able member of the gentleman's staff, Joe Pinder, who has done a superb job in helping prepare this bill for this floor.

It is indeed appropriate that the Congress recognize the 50th anniversary of the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with this commemorative coin set for the year 2008 here about 24 hours away from America's return to space with our launch tomorrow afternoon of the Space Shuttle Discovery, which will go from zero to Mach 25 in 8 minutes and 30 seconds into Earth's orbit tomorrow and just a short week after the Jet Propulsion Laboratory again showed the world the technological prowess of America's space program by hitting a comet for the very first time and exposing its inner workings to the eyes of scientists.

It was, in fact, on January 31 of 1958 that the American space program began with the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, which was built and controlled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under the guidance of the United States Army in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik. The United States responded very quickly, and before the year was out, the Congress had created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on December 3, 1958. JPL was then transferred over to the control of NASA. And since that time, JPL and NASA and the United States have gone on to explore our entire solar system with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope.

We now have telescopes in orbit around the Earth that have identified up to 160 planets around other solar systems. NASA has discovered, as the chairman just mentioned, with the Mars Rovers that liquid water not only once existed on the surface of Mars, it appears that there are large frozen lakes on Mars. We have landed on the surface of the moon Titan. We not only landed men on the moon with the very successful Apollo program, but we are, under President Bush's vision for space exploration and the leadership of our new NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, rapidly moving towards the day very soon when men and women will return to the surface of the moon.

The accomplishments of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are absolutely extraordinary, but this exploration has not come without risk or loss. As with all exploration that is new in pressing the frontiers, it is dangerous. Tragically, on January 27, 1967,

the three Apollo astronauts were killed in a fire on the launch pad of Apollo I. On January 28, 1996 the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost with its entire crew. And on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew were lost during reentry.

Therefore, in designing this set of coins, I have proposed in this bill that the centerpiece will be a $50 gold piece in high relief and proof honoring the lives of astronauts who have lost their lives in their exploration of space. On that $50 gold piece will be an image of the sun. Then arranged around it will be nine silver proof dollars, each one representing a different planet in the solar system and each one commemorating missions to that planet. And of course the silver dollar for the planet Earth on the reverse side will have a design emblematic to the Apollo missions as well as Earth orbital missions.

This commemorative coin set is just one small piece of ongoing work that Congress is doing in support of NASA. It is difficult to even measure the value of the work that NASA does in exploring outer space. Measuring the value of NASA's work today is a lot like the question facing Americans 200 years ago when the Lewis and Clark expedition was launched to explore the west. How could Americans then measure the value of all the minerals and animal species that the Lewis and Clark expedition would find? How can we today measure the value of the exploration and discoveries that will be made by NASA in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory?

Americans today are enjoying the value of the miniaturization of computers, medical technology, heart pumps, valves, power generators, image processing, cell phone technology, CAT scanners, MRI machines, pacemakers. All of these extraordinary technological innovations are the result of work on our space program.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be the author of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman from Louisiana yield for the purpose of entering into a colloquy?

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the chairman of the subcommittee, is it his understanding that a major purpose of commemorative coin legislation is to produce coins that commemorate particular institutions, individuals, or places, allowing both collectors and other citizens who are fans of the person or thing being commemorated to buy coins at a reasonable cost?

Is it further the gentleman's understanding that the Congress has received complaints from citizens who want to buy such commemorative coins claiming that, particularly for the more sought- after coins, that professional coin dealers buy up large numbers of those coins and sets, and then turn around and resell them to the public at a marked-up price?

Would the gentleman also agree that it is the intent of Congress, through this legislation, that as many people as possible have an equal opportunity to buy these commemorative coin sets or individual coins once the Mint initially issues them?

Then I am sure the gentleman would also agree with me that the Mint should be very careful, take as much care as possible with all high-demand commemorative coin issues, but particularly with coin sets produced under this act, to sell no more than 10 complete sets of any issue to any individual, whether the purchase is made by that individual or through straw buyers.

I thank the gentleman, and would the gentleman yield further?

As the gentleman knows, the legislation under consideration by the House today would devote a portion of the surcharge income produced by the sale of these coins to provide not only funds for the NASA Family Assistance Fund, but also the initial funding for a stand-alone museum of money in Washington, DC, as a part of the Smithsonian Institution.

And as the gentleman also knows, the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian is not currently on display, except for a few coins or currency in various exhibits related to the coins or currency or to the images displayed on them. Would the gentleman agree with me that the numismatic collection, one of the largest and best of its sort in the world, should be displayed in its own building here in Washington, in such a way that helps people understand not only the history of commerce and coins and currency in the United States but also the history of this country's development?

Would the gentleman further agree that the numismatic collection would best be displayed in a separate museum here in Washington, not as a subset or subsidiary of any existing Smithsonian museum, but that such a museum could also display examples of other forms of exchange of value, from barter and wampum to coins and currency of other countries, to electronic transfers of value, along with demonstrations of how coins and currencies are produced in its own stand-alone museum here in Washington, D.C.?

Does the gentleman agree that such a museum's exhibits could be kept vital by constant development of traveling exhibits to museums around the country, including those of the American Numismatic Association, the American Numismatic Society, and perhaps, if it is constructed, a museum in the old Mint in San Francisco?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this colloquy.

Mr. Speaker, it is a collaborative effort. There are thousands of scientists and engineers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and across the country and scientists around the world who participate in these missions.

I also want to point out that this set of coins will contain metal that was recovered from spacecraft that actually flew in space. So some portion of each coin will contain metal that flew in space. There will be a certificate to that effect. The money will go to the support of the families, and it will also go to the support of the Air and Space Museum and for the creation of a money museum. The coins are expected to generate quite a bit of revenue, and, therefore, it will be a benefit to the families who have lost loved ones.

But above all, Congress has expressed its strong support for NASA. I am proud to serve on the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Science. The gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) is a strong supporter. This House has supported increased funding for NASA in a vote on this floor just weeks ago.

So in addition to this coin, Congress has expressed our tangible support for NASA and their mission with increased funding.

As this coin is brought into production in 2008, we do not know what the future holds, but I am confident it holds immense promise. Just as the Lewis and Clark expedition brought unknown and immense benefits to the Nation, the American space program will continue to bring incredible growth in our economy as a result of technological spinoffs. The unparalleled growth we have seen in worker productivity in America is a direct result of improvements in high technology and communications and scientific and medical research.

Thomas Jefferson, my hero, always said freedom is the firstborn child of science, and there is no better way for America to express our pride and our confidence in our Nation's space program than by commemorating their 50th anniversary with this coin set in the year 2008.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Science, this is an important day and an important week. I am delighted we have an opportunity to debate the assets of NASA today in the commemoration of their beginning their human space flight again. This legislation, the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, is one that I think speaks loudly to the celebration that we hold tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), and I was a proud original cosponsor in his effort to promote and celebrate the excitement of the work of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab. I also thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) as well for their efforts in moving this legislation forward.

This legislation is unique in its promotion of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab, and it speaks to the best of what NASA represents. I believe, of course, that human space flight is crucial to the knowledge of men and women and the improvement and enhancement of Americans and people around the world. At the same time, the Jet Propulsion Lab also offers its own assets: new technology and understanding of flight and new sciences regarding these issues.

The good news of this particular legislation is it responds to a concern that I have, and that is to recognize the families that have seen their loved ones lost in the exploration of space. We know that space exploration is a good thing, so the idea that the $50 coin and the $10 coin, or the two coins that will be offered, the surcharge that will be on those two coins will be utilized for the NASA Family Assistance Funds, which proposes financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.

As a neighbor to the Johnson Space Center, I knew the families of Challenger and Columbia, and my heart, as well as the hearts of all Americans, poured out in response to the enormous impact and loss of life to those families and to America, brave astronauts willing to risk their lives so that others might live well or better.

Tomorrow, at 3:51, the Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a woman commander. What better statement to support that effort than by passing this legislation today. Even as they go forward, they will have the opportunity to test the muster and fortitude of the space station by delivering goods and services there. They will first demonstrate repair techniques on the shuttle's protective tiles, known as the thermal protection system. During the second space walk, they will replace a failed control moment gyroscope, which helps keep the station oriented properly. And, finally, they will install the external storage platform, a sort of space shelf for holding spare parts during station construction.

This bill also provides for a freestanding museum and also a traveling exhibit to promote and celebrate the various metals that have been found in space. I think that is an excellent idea.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this legislation and I make one comment. It is important as we support the human space shuttle as it goes off tomorrow, that we continue our oversight with the NASA authorization bill and that we recognize the importance of safety and that we promote in large dollars the needs of NASA as it looks to the sophistication of new safety standards.

Then of course I hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring those who lost their lives aboard Columbia by rendering a gold medal, where I sought 300-plus signatures on legislation that I offered to promote that and to acknowledge their loss through a gold medal. I think that will bring us full circle to acknowledging going forward but also acknowledging the sacrifices that were being made.

Let me conclude my remarks by saying that in 1962, John F. Kennedy was at Rice University and he said these words: ``We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people, for science technology has no conscience of its own.''

Today, we honor them by this legislation. I congratulate my colleague for H.R. 68, and I urge my colleagues to enthusiastically support it, for it recognizes NASA and JPL for their 50th anniversary.

I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 68, the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. Let me first thank the sponsor of this legislation my colleague from Texas, Mr. Culberson and the work of Ms. Maloney in bringing this legislation to the floor. This bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

I am heartened to see that the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act stipulates that any funds generated by the sale of these coins shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties. This Act also states that each coin shall include a portion of metal that has flown In space so that these coins are truly symbolic of our Nation's journey through space.

Being from the City of Houston, which is home to the Johnson Space Center I take great pride in the accomplishments of NASA. Tomorrow at 3:51 p.m. the Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I am proud to

say that I will be among the Congressional Delegation that will be in attendance at this historic launch. The launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery will come more than 2 years after the tragic Columbia shuttle accident. The crew of the Discovery will include astronauts Steve Robinson, Jim Kelly, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda, Eileen Collins and Soichi Noguchi. With implementation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommendations completed, this crew of seven astronauts will fly aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-114 to test new safety techniques and deliver needed supplies to the International Space Station. Two crewmembers, Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi, will venture outside the Shuttle three times on spacewalks. The first will demonstrate repair techniques on the Shuttle's protective tiles, known as the Thermal Protection System. During the second spacewalk, they'll replace a failed Control Moment Gyroscope, which helps keep the station oriented properly. Finally, they'll install the External Stowage Platform, a sort of space shelf for holding spare parts during Station construction. STS-114 will also be the third trip of the Multi Purpose Logistics Module, MPLM, named Raffaello to the Station. It's essentially a ``moving van'' that transports supplies to the orbital outpost.

I have consistently stated that since the Columbia shuttle accident, that safety must be our number one priority. There is no doubt that the Space Shuttle Discovery is the safest ever flown by NASA, but when it comes to safety there is always more work to be done, both in regards to the shuttle as well as to the International Space Station. All Americans can look proudly upon the achievements of our space exploration tomorrow when we witness the launch of Discovery.

Truly, we as a nation have come a long way in the area of space exploration since President John F. Kennedy set the course for our Nation when he stated in a speech at Rice University in 1962: ``We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war--The great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said because it is there. Well space is there, and we're going to climb it. And the moon and the planets are there. And new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And therefore, as we set sail, we ask God's blessing, on the most hazardous, and dangerous, and greatest adventure, on which man has ever embarked.'' Tomorrow afternoon we embark on yet another journey of exploration and we write another chapter in the history of space. Our Nation has seen great tragedy and yet we continue to move forward because that is the only path that knowledge will accept, truly it is appropriate that tomorrow's shuttle will be called Discovery.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 68) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 68 and to insert extraneous material thereon.

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) and the Members of the Texas delegation for their efforts in recognizing the achievements of NASA with the introduction of H.R. 68.

It is highly appropriate at the time we are soon to expect the space shuttle program to reenter demand exploration effort this week that we observe and appreciate the heroism, genius and sacrifices that the program has given us to this point in time.

I think it is also appropriate that with NASA's Deep Impact Project of just a few days ago, impacting the surface of Comet Temple, as well as the very slow rolling wheels of Spirit and Opportunity cross and traverse the face of Mars, it seems stunningly impossible that these programs began only 50 years ago. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I think this legislation is important for the House to favorably consider as it seeks to commemorate the anniversary by issuing in 2008 into silver dollar coins and a single $50 coin representing the nine planets and the gold coin representing the sun.

Fittingly, the first million dollars of surcharges resulting from this effort will go to a needs-based fund benefiting the next of kin of those heroes who died in the exploration of space. Further, the remainder of funds will go to the Smithsonian for help in preservation of important spacecraft and half of the fund to create a stand-alone Smithsonian museum here in the District dedicated specifically to coins, currency and other monetary forms of transaction.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) who has led the charge to see this goal through to its final conclusion.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas for the purpose of a colloquy.

That is my understanding.

That is unfortunately the case.

That is correct.

The gentleman agrees and stipulates the Mint should make every effort not to sell more than 10 sets of coins produced under the act to any buyer, be they bought by that individual or through buyers acting on behalf of that individual.

The gentleman continues to yield.

I do agree.

The gentleman agrees and believes that such a plan would be an excellent way to keep a new national museum of money exciting so that visitors would be interested in returning many times.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I just wish to point out that the astronauts are the bravest of the brave and assume the most dire risk in these missions as they approach to reach the outer limits of mankind's understandings. But within the organization known as NASA and JPL, there are literally thousands of individuals who work collaboratively for years to get these launches to the place where they can proceed at the highest level of safety and responsibility.

So I look at this act and this step the Congress is now authorizing today as one which recognizes not only those life-risking astronauts as being the pinnacle of our recognition, but certainly every member of the NASA JPL teams who literally work lifetimes to make these steps of exploration by humankind possible.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

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

Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record an exchange of correspondence between the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Ways and Means.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, July 11, 2005.

Hon. Michael G. Oxley,

Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Oxley: Thank you for your letter regarding

H.R. 68, the ``NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative

Coin Act,'' which was reported to the House by the Committee

on Financial Services on June 17, 2005.

As you noted, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains

jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.

68 contains a provision that establishes a surcharge for the

sale of commemorative coins that are minted under the bill,

and thus falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee on

Ways and Means. However, in order to expedite this bill for

floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action. This is

being done with the understanding that it does not in any way

prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of

conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or

similar legislation.

I appreciate and agree to your offer to include this

exchange of letters on this matter in the Congressional

Record during floor consideration.

Best regards,

Bill Thomas,

Chairman.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 68, the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. Since it was first introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) at the beginning of this Congress, it has gathered almost 300 bipartisan co-sponsors, and I am very proud to have worked with him in this effort.

It is not surprising that it has such strong support. NASA is a national institution that has always had strong support in this body. Its quest for scientific knowledge and new frontiers of exploration has often pulled this Nation together.

In the half century since its founding, NASA has so often given us something to be proud of and patriotic about. When President Kennedy first told the world that the United States would be the first to put a man on the moon; when Neil Armstrong fulfilled that promise with one small step seen around the world, and I do not think any of us who had the honor of seeing that will ever forget it; when the Hubble telescope sent back those first amazing photos of far away galaxies 15 years ago; when the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity found evidence of a former sea deep beneath the surface of the red planet, these are just a few of the very proud moments that this coin remembers.

This coin also honors those brave men and women who have given their lives in their pursuit of knowledge. The crew of the Challenger, the crew of the Columbia, the Apollo I crew. These are true heroes, and it is imminently fitting that the proceeds of this coin will go to the families of NASA personnel who have died in the line of duty.

It is particularly appropriate that we consider this bill today just hours before the important launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery tomorrow. That launch begins the mission stage of the Return to Flight program NASA undertook after the Columbia tragedy. That review included new safety procedures, new analysis and reporting procedures, and new cost efficiencies. Let us hope that it is the successful beginning of a new and exciting era of this agency.

Commander Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission, and her crew of 7 will once again take the shuttle to the International Space Station testing new safety procedures and delivering supplies. Although there have been several well-known women astronauts before, Commander Collins is still a new first, and I for one am particularly excited about this mission. We, the world, will be watching as Discovery lifts off tomorrow.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 68, which commemorates the proud history of our National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and I would like to join my colleagues in thanking Joe Pinder, a member of the committee, for his very, very hard work in bringing the bill before us today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) a member of the committee whose district is very close to where the shuttle will take off tomorrow and who is also a member of the Committee on Financial Services.

(Mr. AL GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green), who has the honor of representing many NASA employees.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and advise that that concludes the speakers on this side. As revealed by the eloquent statements from my colleagues, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), a 10-year member of the Committee on Science; and the gentlemen from Texas (Mr. Al Green) and (Mr. Gene Green), both of whom represent NASA employees, I would say there is great enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle, with over 300 cosponsors.

This is important legislation. It honors not only NASA on its 50th anniversary but the commitment of this country and body to science and scientific advancement. I thank very much the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), who has really been the fight behind moving this to the floor, along with the fine help of Joe Pinder.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 68, legislation authorizing the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins for the 50th anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the La Canada-Flintridge-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which I am privileged to represent.

NASA and JPL's decades of space and planetary exploration are worthy of this recognition. For more than fifty years, JPL has reached the outer limits of our solar system and made incredible technological breakthroughs. These achievements are all thanks to the outstanding people who have worked there over the years. Having just recently visited JPL for Deep Impact, I am confident they have another exciting fifty years ahead.

Several colleagues joined me at JPL on July 4th to watch Deep Impact, a mission that will expand our understanding of the universe and answer many questions about the origins of our solar system. As many of you read in the news, Deep Impact mission scientists at JPL accomplished the amazing feat of flying an 820-pound probe into the heart of a comet 268 million miles from Earth. To complicate matters, the comet was speeding through space at 23,000 miles per hour.

I want to thank my good friends Mr. Calvert, who chairs the House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, and Mr. Schiff, who used to represent JPL and now has Caltech in his district, for joining me at JPL to celebrate our nation's independence. I am sure they will agree that the fireworks we saw from JPL' s Mission Control room on July 4th rivaled those that were launched here at our Nation's capital.

Deep Impact is just the latest in a long series of incredible accomplishments of JPL and NASA, dating back to the very beginning of United States space exploration. On January 31, 1958, the American space age began with the launch of Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite. At a time of national disappointment following the Soviet Union's successful launch of Sputnik, Explorer I turned the tide in international space exploration, displayed America's pioneering spirit- and scientific excellence, and spurred our space efforts. The organization behind the development, launch, and control of Explorer I was JPL.

JPL will continue to push the boundaries of space and science with upcoming missions, such as SIM PlanetQuest and the Terrestrial Planet Finder. These missions will bring us closer to discovering whether there may be other planets like our own. This quest is an important one, which is why the search for Earth-like planets is a central part of the President's vision for space exploration.

I have no doubt these very exciting missions will expand our horizons, answer many questions and capture our imagination, just as previous missions have. For example, it was one year ago that the Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft successfully entered orbit around Saturn. Since that time we have seen some incredible images and learned a great deal about Saturn and its rings.

A little over two years ago, the first of the two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit, was launched. In January 2004, the second rover,

Opportunity, landed on Mars. Both have proven to be work horses on the planet's unforgiving surface, and both have made fascinating discoveries. Spirit found evidence that early Martian history was wet and violently explosive, and Opportunity found evidence of a shallow ancient sea.

There are also tangible scientific and technological results from JPL and NASA's successes. For example, the work of scientists and engineers at JPL has resulted in medical imaging technology used in brain surgery, the detection of breast cancer and detection of skin cancer, and in computer chips that have been used to reduce engine emissions in automobiles. These and other breakthroughs play a critical role in ensuring America keeps its technological and scientific edge.

I congratulate JPL and NASA on their many decades of exploration and discovery.