R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, Few individuals in the history of the National
1-2 Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have made as great a
1-3 contribution to the program of human spaceflight as George W. S.
1-4 Abbey; and
1-5 WHEREAS, A United States Air Force fighter pilot when he was
1-6 assigned to the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston in 1964,
1-7 Mr. Abbey subsequently resigned his commission to join the center's
1-8 permanent staff and held a long series of increasingly responsible
1-9 positions; after receiving appointment as acting director of what
1-10 is now the Johnson Space Center in 1995, he subsequently became
1-11 director of the center and held that office until early 2001; and
1-12 WHEREAS, Mr. Abbey was a member of the Apollo 13 Mission
1-13 Operations Team, which was presented a Medal of Freedom by
1-14 President Richard M. Nixon in 1970 for its heroic efforts in saving
1-15 the lives of the mission's three astronauts; in 1976 he became
1-16 director of Flight Operations at the center and in that capacity
1-17 was responsible for operational planning and for flight crew and
1-18 flight control activities; as part of this assignment he had
1-19 responsibility for the Space Shuttle approach and landing tests,
1-20 shuttle orbital flight tests, and early operational shuttle
1-21 flights; and
1-22 WHEREAS, From 1985 to 1988, as director of Flight Crew
1-23 Operations, he selected astronaut candidates and flight crews and
1-24 oversaw the management of the flight crews and the center's
2-1 aircraft; in 1994, after handling various assignments away from
2-2 Houston for six years, he returned to the Johnson Space Center as
2-3 deputy director; and
2-4 WHEREAS, During his tenure as director of the Johnson Space
2-5 Center, the largest of the NASA space centers, he had
2-6 responsibility for all U.S. human spaceflight activities, including
2-7 the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs; indeed,
2-8 Mr. Abbey has been credited as the driving force that made the
2-9 International Space Station a reality; and
2-10 WHEREAS, Working closely with the many other international
2-11 parties engaged in this ambitious enterprise, he saw the first
2-12 stages of construction completed and the first crew to occupy the
2-13 station launched in November 2000 for a four-month stay; the
2-14 station is designed to accommodate crews of up to seven people and
2-15 to host scientific experiments of much longer duration than has
2-16 been possible on the Space Shuttle; and
2-17 WHEREAS, Texans have long taken pride in the eminence of the
2-18 Johnson Space Center, which has enhanced Houston's international
2-19 reputation as a vital locus of scientific progress; and
2-20 WHEREAS, Mr. Abbey's unswerving commitment to the human
2-21 spaceflight program and his effectiveness as its champion have
2-22 been critical factors in its continuing success, and it is truly a
2-23 great privilege and pleasure to recognize him at this time; now,
2-24 therefore, be it
2-25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-26 Legislature hereby honor George W. S. Abbey for his immeasurable
2-27 contributions to NASA and the human spaceflight program and express
3-1 to him its deep appreciation for his nearly four decades of
3-2 extraordinary service in behalf of this exhilarating endeavor; and,
3-3 be it further
3-4 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-5 prepared for Mr. Abbey as an expression of high regard by the Texas
3-6 House of Representatives.
Davis of Harris
Gray
Talton
Eiland
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1290 was adopted by the House on May
28, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House