A Letter from Senator Nelson

Dear Fellow Floridian:

This past Monday, the STS-121 Space Shuttle Discovery mission concluded with a safe landing at the Kennedy Space Center. From the auspicious launch on Independence Day through the end of the 13-day mission, STS-121`s outstanding performance was a testament to the entire NASA team and our nation`s commitment to space exploration. I entered these remarks into the Congressional Record to commemorate the success of this historic mission.

I was on site for the three launch attempts, and was glad for the opportunity to talk with the media and reinforce why it is so important to fly out the shuttle manifest, complete the assembly of the International Space Station, and minimize the gap between shuttle retirement and the crew exploration vehicle`s first flight. I made the same case in an editorial published earlier this week in the Tampa Tribune.

And, I`m pleased to report that the Senate is proposing an increase to NASA`s fiscal year 2007 budget. On July 13, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Mikulski-Hutchison amendment that provides for a $1 billion increase over the $16.8 billion requested in the president`s budget for NASA. This increase would ease pressure from shuttle return-to-flight activities and the impact of Hurricane Katrina on NASA facilities. I have been working with my Senate colleagues, both behind the scenes and in hearings over the past few months, to make this happen. I will push hard to see that this increase is approved in the full Senate and that it stays in place when the bill emerges from the conference with the House.

Meantime, we anxiously await launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-115 mission, scheduled for August 28.

Sincerely,
Bill Nelson
U.S. Senator

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