Quote Them
Robert Zubrin
"I don’t think we should have to do a Mars mission on the basis of hysteria," Zubrin says. "I think we should do a Mars mission on the basis of a deliberate judgment that what we want to do is open up a new planet for humanity ... that we are continuing to be a nation of pioneers."
Ben Bova
"The real question is how can you convince people that what we do in space is important to them. When we find the answer to that, then we won't have to sit around and wonder where we are going!"
Hermann Oberth
"And what would the purpose of all this?
For those who have never known the relentless urge to explore and discover there is no answer. For those who have felt this urge, the answer is self evident. For the latter there is no solution but to investigate every possible means of gathering knowledge of the universe.
This is the goal: To make available for life every place where life is possible. To make inhabitable all worlds as yet uninhabited, and all life purposeful." (1957)
Carl Sagan
"All civilizations become either spacefaring or extinct." "Our time will be remembered, because this was when we first set sail for other worlds." (1987)
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
"The Earth is the cradle of mankind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever." (1895)
Rabindranath Tagore (Indian writer and philosopher)
"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."
Fred Hoyle
"Space isn't remote at all. It's only an hour's drive away if your car could go straight up."
Congressional Quotations
Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE)
"TransHab technology could possibly mean a manned-exploration of Mars which could result in a wealth of scientific information previously unavailable."
(Congressional Record, 20 May 1999)
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
"Yesterday, Bill Clinton told Walter Cronkite and the American people on CNN that `Our space program has been a great investment. It's had hardly any increases in funding since I became President, but we've gone from two launches to eight launches a year'
"That's pure nonsense. Bill Clinton has cut NASA's budget in actual dollars every year since he has been President, and slashed the real purchasing power by a third. In fact, this administration has cut $40 billion from NASA's outyear budget since he was first elected.
"Furthermore, there were eight Space Shuttle launches in 1992 - the last year of George Bush's Presidency and only four this year. So in fact Bill Clinton has cut human space flight in half.
"This administration has repeatedly ignored the importance of space to our economy and national security. Indeed, they've used NASA as an idealogical piggy bank for foreign aid to Russia and for Al Gore's radical environmental agenda, while vetoing funding for important military space projects. In sum, they treated space like just another political prop.
"Personally, I'm glad that John Glenn got to return to space. But we need to invest our space dollars in making it cheaper so that lots more people and projects can go into space. I hope that next year the President will work with the new Congress to really open the space frontier for everyone." (Press Release, October 30, 1998 "Rohrabacher: Clinton Misleads Public Again, This Time About NASA Budget" from NASAWatch)
Rep. Tim Roemer (D-IN)
"And thirdly, my preference would be to cancel the Space Station, to move on, not to let our dreams be suspended 100 miles above Earth in technology that was designed 15 years ago. Let us dream about Mars. Let us dream about going back to the Moon. Let us dream big dreams like we are capable of, NASA." (Congressional Record Debate on H.R. 1654, 19 May 1999)
Rep. David Weldon (R-FL)
"There are people within NASA as well as within the American space society talking about ideas of how we could someday send men and women to Mars. This shows (referring to a graphic) a Mars base and a return vehicle there as well as a little greenhouse. This is what it could someday be. I encourage all of my collegues to support NASA and support our space efforts." (Congressional Record, 17 July 1997) SEE also 25 July 1997
Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
"I believe very strongly that the International Space Station should be termintated-" That money "ought to be used to re-establish a moon base-and we ought to be launching a manned mission to Mars." (article by Jonathan Lipman "Senate Boosts NASA Budget" States News Service Special to Space.com, Sept. 15, 1999)
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
"I look forward to the day when the United States sends a manned mission to Mars. America must continue to be a nation of explorers, carrying out the traditions of discovery embodies by Lewis and Clark, and the dedication of thousands of men and women working on projects large and small that will lead us to new frontiers in space." (Congressional Record)
President George Bush
There are many reasons to explore the universe, but 10 very special reasons why America must never stop seeking distant frontiers: the 10 courageous astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice to further the cause of space exploration. They have taken their place in the heavens so that America can take its place in the stars.
Like them, and like Columbus, we dream of distant shores we've not yet seen. Why the Moon? Why Mars? Because it is humanity's destiny to strive, to seek, to find. And because it is America's destiny to lead.
James Michener was right when he told Congress: ``There are moments in history when challenges occur of such a compelling nature that to miss them is to miss the whole meaning of an epoch. Space is such a challenge,'' he said. Well, today's announcement is our recognition that the challenge was not merely one that belonged in the sixties; it's one that will occupy Americans for generations to come. And the American people have led the way on this. The American people, I'm convinced, want us back in space -- and this time, back in space to stay.
Somewhere out there, maybe on the Mall today, maybe listening on a radio somewhere, the Americans who will first walk on Mars are now only children, perhaps your children. And along with our congratulations to all of you, we leave you today with the hope of that day when another President stands with those pioneers and echoes the last words spoken to the departing Apollo 11: ``Good luck, and Godspeed.'' (Remarks on the 20th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing - July 20, 1989)
