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.