Imagine that hundreds of thousands of miles away, to brave americans were sitting on the surface of the moon. Their comrades remained in lunar orbit. Above. I didnt quite understand what this development would mean for the future. I just remember thinking at that moment how proud i was to be an american. I looked up to these three men, and i still do, and i marvel add their courage, their intelligence, and their patriotism as well as that of tens of thousands of americans involved in getting them to the moon in the first place. We now know that this lunar trio had quite a sense of humor. Michael collins was once asked in an interview what he was thinking about in the moments leading up to the liftoff, and he joked, i was thinking of per deiem. We learned from buzz aldrin stepped off the ladder, he told them that he was being careful, not to lock the door behind him. When talked about the fact that most of the foes tows were of aldrin, Neal Armstrong joked, ive always said that buzz aldrin was the far more photo genic of the crew. Theres one thing that is abundantly clear. That day, july 20, 1969, established the United States as the worlds leader in human Space Exploration. It also put my hometown, the place of my birth, houston, on the map as the hub for spaceflight innovation in the United States. We all remember the very first words uttered by Neal Armstrong after landing. He said, quote, houston, Tranquility Base here. The eagle has landed. Of course, he was talking to the greatest minds of the generation who were working at Johnson Space center in houston, texas. The men and women at Mission Control center exercised full control over apollo 11 from the launch at canada space center to the landing on the moon to the splashdown in the pacific ocean. For more than 50 years now, the Johnson Space center has been at the heart of americas space program. The successful Apollo Mission marked a turning point in Space Exploration and folks across texas are eager to celebrate this momentous anniversary. You can do like i have and visit Johnson Space center yourself and see nasas Mission Control from apollo. Its redesigned to look exactly the way it did in 1969, down to the retrocoffee cups and glass ashtrays. You can watch the Houston Astros you can find spacethemed menus and ask an astronaut events to educate our next generation of space travelers. To commemorate this Historic Mission in washington, ive introduced bipartisan, bicameral resolution with our colleagues, senator brown, congress congressman babin last month. I ask might fellow senators to join me in passing in this week. This resolution honors apollo 11s three crewmembers Neal Armstrong, buzz aldrin andal concollins, whose bravery and still made this feat possible. In addition, it commends the work of the brilliant men and women who supported this mission on earth, including mathematicians like Katherine Johnson and the astronauts who lost their lives in previous spaceflight missions. To ensure that america remains the leader in human spaceflight, this resolution also supports the continued leadership of the United States. With this in mind, earlier in year i introduced a bill called advancing human spaceflight act with senator peters from michigan. To provide greater certainty and stability for our space program. This legislation will extend the authorization for the International Space center through 2030 and launch the United States into a new era of Space Exploration. Our future astronauts need spacesuits with advanced capabilities beyond what Current Technology can do. So this bill will also direct nasa to directly the nextgeneration spacesuit for future exploration to the moon, to mars, and beyond. In order to make this dream a reality, this legislation will allow as soon as to partner with private space innovators, to ensure that we have the best and brightest working to achieve these goals. In addition, this bill will for the first time codify human space settlement as a national goal. I believe this legislation will help set the stage to launch the United States into a new era of Space Exploration, and theres no better time than this momentous anniversary to recommit ourselves to American Leadership in space. In the years since that small that first small step, weve watched goal after goal being set and then met from viking 1 landing on mars to the voyageer program exploring the outer planets to the International Space station making human space habitation a reality. I have no doubt that the success of the apollo 11 mission made each of these victories possible and paved the wait for the future. For the 50th anniversary of the Lunar Landing today, we honor the brave and brilliant astronauts, physicists, engineers, mathematicians and scientists of all kinds who made our first, our nation the first to touch down on lunar soil. Were grateful for their courage, their sacrifices and their immeasurable contributions to our n ms. Ernst are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer no. Ms. Ernst mr. President , july 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the first step man took on the moon. For that brief moment, all mankind stood united watching an awesome spectacle transpire few would have imagined possible just years earlier. It stands as one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. And it cemented the United States as the world leader in science, technology, and discovery. In 1961 when president kennedy boldly challenged the nation to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth by the end of the decade, the technology needed to do so, for the most part, didnt even exist. That we accomplished this monumental goal is a testament to American Ingenuity and innovation. In fact, some of the very Technology Developed for the Apollo Mission is still having a positive impact on the lives of iowans nearly half a century later. Our First Responders wear fireresistant textiles developed for the use in apollo spacesuits. Our communities rely on Water Purification technology designed for the apollo spacecraft. And our soldiers in the field depend on the m. R. E. s or meals ready to eat created to safely feed Neal Armstrong, buzz aldrin and Michael Collins on their halfmillionmile journey to the moon and back. In my libby, who is a cadet at west point, was recently sharing some and well just say some very strong opinions about these m. R. E. s, but maybe shell feel differently when i tell her this was actually food for astronauts. But in all seriousness, when the government makes wise and sound investments in the development of emerging technology, the benefits can be tremendous. G. P. S. Is an example of this. G. P. S. Originally has its roots in the military with a strong air force stewardship and its significance only continues to grow with the advancements of satellites and the development of drones. But g. P. S. Has evolved beyond just military use. It impacts the everyday lives of iowans from driving directions and Ride Share Services to the electric power grid, g. P. S. Is utilized by businesses and consumers across the country. This Important Technology supports new and emerging applications, including water quality, driverless vehicles, and precision agriculture. It is estimated that civilian and commercial access to g. P. S. Added 90 billion in annual value to the u. S. Economy in 2013. Examples like these demonstrate why its so important that this body and our nation as a whole continue to push the envelope when it comes to science, technology, and discovery. And thats exactly what Senate Republicans have been doing. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities, i have made it a priority to ensure the United States remains the world leader in the development of Artificial Intelligence or a. I. From novel defensive capabilities and Data Analysis to the Predictive Maintenance of military hardware, theres no overstating the value of a. I. To our national security. I also fought to assure the recent bill prioritized the continued development of advanced manufacturing techniq techniques otherwise known as 3d printing. Look no further than Rock Island Arsenal which employs so many of my fellow iowans. Theyre doing some truly innovative work in this arena, work that has the potential to transform the way we supply our men and women in uniform. As a former Company Commander overseeing supply convoys in a war zone, i know personally how important this is. And of course theres a consensus on both sides of the aisle that we can do more to get our students, especially young girls, excited about futures in stem and steam. I hope we can Work Together to advance that effort in the near future. After all, the moon landing could have never happened without the contributions of thousands of women from across the nation. These Unsung Heroes did everything from developing apollos on Board Software to weaving the copper wire for the spacecrafts guidance system. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing, there will be countless commemorations and tributes to this monumental event. Well look back on president kennedys bold call to action, the hundreds of thousands of hardworking american men and women who answered that call, and the three heroes who rode apollo 11 to the moon and back. And then in that same spirit, well turn our gaze to the future, to the innovation, to the technology, and to the discovery. And be it here on earth or out amongst the stars, the United States will continue to lead the way as we look to take that next great step for mankind. Thank you, mr. President. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from mississippi. Mrs. Hydesmith mr. President , i am pleased to join my colleagues in commemorating the 50th anniversary of american astronauts becoming the first humans to walk on the moon. 50 years ago the United States met one of the Biggest Challenges it had ever set for itself. Through determination, hard work, invention, and innovation, the United States fulfilled president kennedys vision to reach the moon before the end of the 1960s. I remember that time very well. July 16, 1969, was my dads 37th birthday. We were vacationing in florida at the spyglass inn on the beach. We were so excited to be close to merit island, florida, where apollo 11 was being launched. We were in our hotel room watching the television. That is one vacation i will never forget. I remember as a young girl watching those first astronauts step foot on the moon. It was with great awe that i watched the apollo 11 lift off from the earth and the lunar module land safely on the surface of the moon. With a lot of amazement, i watched Neil Armstrong and buzz aldrin as they announced the eagle has landed. And then take those first brave steps on the moon. And it was with great pride that i watched them plant the American Flag on the moon. Today those brave nasa astronauts of the Apollo Program continue to serve as an inspiration that we are capable of anything we set our minds to. Equally important is the reminder that those astronauts could not have reached the moon without the support of thousands of men and women both in nasa and in the Aerospace Industry. It is a reminder that we are at our best when we Work Together. While nasas mission has changed and evolved over the last 60 years, the Aerospace Industry continues to play a vital role in our quest for knowledge and Americas National security mission. In my home state of mississippi, we are very proud of the conspicuous roles our citizens play in our nations Space Exploration and endeavors. Since the earliest days of americas space program, mississippi has played an Important Role in the quest to explore the stars. For more than 50 years, the john c. Stennis space center in hancock county, mississippi, has dutifully tested and approved nasas largest rocket engines including the saturn 5 rockets that took our astronauts to the moon and later the engines for the Space Shuttle program. Today stennis is testing engines for nasas space launch system which we again take humans below beyond the earths orbit and i am pleased that much like in the apollo days, mississippi has an Important Role in the s. O. S. Program. As we are fond of reminding everyone, the road to space goes through mississippi. However, stennis isnt only known for its rocket testing to support nasa missions. It also proudly bears the title the federal city. And one of the federal governments best places to work with a 13,800 acre surrounded by a 125,000 acre buffer zone, it has allowed dozens of our federal and private sector tenants to take advantage of its unique isolation and security to serve our nations interest across many sectors, perhaps most notably in the field of oashing on geography and meteorology. The meteorological and oceanographic modeling and forecasting capabilities that stennis provide naval commanders with the information they need to make good decisions that affect the safety of ships and sailors around the world every single day. The navys largest supercomputer is located at stennis. The unique federal city of Stennis Space Center covers exploration from the bottom of the ocean to the far reaches of the universe. It is americas largest rocket test complex, an impressive tsunami and weather bie bowie protection site and special personnel conduct highly advanced river rain and jungle training using cutting edge Unmanned Systems technology. Stennis also houses several private initiatives such as aerojets, rocket Engine Assembly facility, lockheedmartin mississippi space and technology center, a rollsroyce test facility, and relativity space. The national and International Scope of work taking place at stennis every day creates a local direct Economic Impact of nearly 600 million and nearly a billion dollars in global impact. As we mark this 50th anniversary, i am pleased that Stennis Space Center is helping to inspire, encourage, and prepare students to pursue science technology, engineering, and mathrelated careers, the talents we will need to get to mars and beyond. Since its inception, more than 60 years ago, nasa has pioneered scientific discovery and captivated the nation. These capabilities are especially important in todays world where innovation and fostering an interest among our youth in science, technology, mathematics and engineering fields are vital to the United States continuing to be a success in this world. I am proud that mississippi plays a vital role in our nations work to meet the technological challenges of today and tomorrow. This work occurs not only at Stennis Space Center but also at so many other related businesses across the state of mississippi. The people of mississippi look with pride at our role in the United States reaching the moon 50 years ago, and we will look forward to the decades ahead when the testing, technology and innovation taking place in our state helps the American SpaceProgram Reach new monumental achievements. Mr. President , i believe the 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing can and should inspire generations of people around the world to explore and push the boundaries of what they believe possible. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from north dak dak. A senator thank you. Im honored to join my colleagues to commemorate this incredible anniversary. 58 years ago in may of 1961, the year that i was born, president john f. Kennedy appeared before congress and boldly declared that the nuns would send an american to the moon before the end of the decade. Mr. Cramer no small task