| 1 | House Memorial |
| 2 | A memorial to the Congress of the United States, urging |
| 3 | Congress to fully support the space program and recognize |
| 4 | the significance of research related to human space |
| 5 | flight. |
| 6 |
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| 7 | WHEREAS, the Space Shuttle Program is scheduled to end in |
| 8 | the near future, and |
| 9 | WHEREAS, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| 10 | is beginning the transition to new launch systems that enable |
| 11 | humans to explore beyond low earth orbit, and |
| 12 | WHEREAS, NASA and the White House Office of Science and |
| 13 | Technology Policy established the Review of U.S. Human Space |
| 14 | Flight Plans Committee to review the progress and status of the |
| 15 | national human space exploration mission and the programs and |
| 16 | systems being developed to enable human space exploration, and |
| 17 | WHEREAS, the committee found that human space exploration |
| 18 | can drive technology innovation, develop commercial industries |
| 19 | and national capabilities, demonstrate international leadership |
| 20 | and contribute to scientific knowledge, inspire the next |
| 21 | generation, and chart a path for human expansion into the solar |
| 22 | system, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, the committee found that human exploration beyond |
| 24 | low earth orbit is not viable under the current federal budget |
| 25 | guidelines and that additional annual funding for human space |
| 26 | exploration is necessary in order to establish a meaningful |
| 27 | program, and |
| 28 | WHEREAS, the committee found that NASA's budget should |
| 29 | match its mission and goals, and that NASA should be given the |
| 30 | ability to shape its organization and infrastructure |
| 31 | accordingly, while maintaining facilities of national |
| 32 | importance, and |
| 33 | WHEREAS, the current budget will result in a significant |
| 34 | gap in United States human space flight capabilities, which may |
| 35 | result in the loss of critical national capabilities of |
| 36 | workforce experience and the aerospace industrial base, NOW, |
| 37 | THEREFORE, |
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| 39 | Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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| 41 | That the Congress of the United States is requested to: |
| 42 | (1) Increase the level of NASA's budget to a level |
| 43 | sufficient to enable the development of exploration systems and |
| 44 | vehicles, operate the International Space Station through 2020, |
| 45 | and reduce the gap in United States human space flight; |
| 46 | (2) Support the life sciences research necessary for long- |
| 47 | term human space flight beyond low earth orbit; |
| 48 | (3) Direct appropriate work and programs to utilize |
| 49 | Florida's unique workforce skills and aerospace facilities to |
| 50 | preserve and enhance national space launch capability; and |
| 51 | (4) Support the increased utilization and sustainable |
| 52 | development of federal and state spaceports as national |
| 53 | resources supporting commercial enterprises and research and |
| 54 | technology development. |
| 55 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be |
| 56 | dispatched to the President of the United States, to the |
| 57 | President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the |
| 58 | United States House of Representatives, and to each member of |
| 59 | the Florida delegation to the United States Congress. |