By Jackson                                     H.C.R. No. 100

      75R6733 WMS-D                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Texas is proud to

 1-2     honor the individuals who have dedicated their lives to the

 1-3     difficult and demanding field of space exploration; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, Although the goal of human space flight and

 1-5     exploration once appeared unattainable, advances in science and

 1-6     technology have enabled humans to work on the moon and to extend

 1-7     their quest for knowledge to other planets and beyond; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, The State of Texas has played a pivotal role in the

 1-9     United States space program; in 1961, the National Aeronautics and

1-10     Space Administration established the Manned Space Center, now known

1-11     as the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center near Clear Lake, Texas, and,

1-12     more than 30 years later, Texans employed at the center continue to

1-13     perform such vital national functions as designing, developing, and

1-14     testing spacecraft, selecting and training astronauts, and planning

1-15     and conducting human space flight missions; and

1-16           WHEREAS, While our nation has gained extensive information by

1-17     expanding humankind's horizons beyond that of the Earth, the

1-18     process of exploring the cosmos has also led to a number of

1-19     technological advances that have since been incorporated into

1-20     everyday life, including smoke detectors, quartz timing crystals,

1-21     flame-retardant fabrics, pacemakers, portable medical equipment,

1-22     and others too numerous to mention; and

1-23           WHEREAS, The many dedicated men and women who devote their

1-24     time and talents to helping this nation realize the cherished dream

 2-1     of space exploration have truly broadened the frontiers of

 2-2     knowledge for all humankind, and their outstanding accomplishments

 2-3     are indeed worthy of special legislative recognition at this time;

 2-4     now, therefore, be it

 2-5           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-6     hereby proclaim April 12, 1997, as Space Explorers' Day in Texas

 2-7     and encourage all Texans to observe the day with appropriate

 2-8     ceremonies and activities.