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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, May 5, 2011, is the 50th anniversary of the first |
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flight by an American into space, and this occasion provides a |
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fitting opportunity to celebrate the role that Texans have played |
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in our nation's achievements in manned spaceflight; and |
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WHEREAS, On May 5, 1961, Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard |
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became the first U.S. citizen in space when he soared to an altitude |
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of 116 miles above the earth's surface aboard Freedom 7; formerly a |
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navy pilot, Commander Shepard had received his initial flight |
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training in Corpus Christi, and since that historic first mission, |
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more than 50 other individuals with connections to the Lone Star |
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State have been members of the NASA astronaut corps; and |
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WHEREAS, Texans who have flown in space include Gemini |
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astronauts David Scott and Edward White, Apollo astronauts Alan |
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Bean and Edgar Mitchell, and space shuttle astronauts Jeffrey |
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Ashby, John Blaha, Kenneth Cockrell, John Creighton, Robert |
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Crippen, John Fabian, William Fisher, Patrick Forrester, Bernard |
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Harris, Rick Husband, Robert Kimbrough, Paul Lockhart, and Richard |
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Mullane; in addition, Timothy Kopra and Shannon Walker served |
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aboard the International Space Station, and of the nine men and |
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women selected for the 2009 astronaut candidate class, three are |
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from Texas--Serena Aunon, Kjell Lindgren, and Mark Vande Hei; and |
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WHEREAS, Since September 1963, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space |
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Center in Houston has played an essential role in manned |
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spaceflight; it has served as mission control for the Gemini, |
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Apollo, and space shuttle programs, the home base and training |
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center for the nation's astronaut corps, and the lead center for |
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space shuttle activities and NASA's participation in the |
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International Space Station; and |
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WHEREAS, In the half-century since Alan Shepard first rose |
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above the atmosphere of our planet, countless Texans have helped to |
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make America the leader in manned spaceflight, creating a legacy of |
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achievement that will be remembered and admired as humankind |
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continues its quest to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first |
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U.S. manned spaceflight and commend all the Texans, past and |
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present, who have contributed to our nation's accomplishments in |
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space exploration. |