Good evening

NASA WATCH has a link to SpaceRef.com's copy of NASA Administrator Michael Griffin's remarks to the National Space Club.
[SEE BELOW]
Here is the link to the PDF file at http://www.blogger.com/www.nasa.gov
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/speeches/index.html
ADMINISTRATOR GRIFFIN'S SPEECHES
02.09.06 - Remarks to the National Space Club Exploration must become, in the public mind, nothing more or less than "what NASA does."
+ View Transcript (45 Kb PDF)
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/142776main_mg_nsc_20060209.pdf
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Will snip a few paragraphs from SpaceRef's copy. You might want to read the whole speech or copy the PDF file.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up.
(hoping that we have something to look up at)

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
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http://www.nasawatch.com/
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Remarks to the National Space Club by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19576
"I do think that it is important to note that we are delaying missions, not simply abandoning them. We will still do the Space Interferometry Mission, the Terrestrial Planet Finder, and the Global Precipitation Monitoring mission. We will not do them right now. In making a decision concerning what to delay and what to keep on schedule to the extent possible, I determined that delays in starting SIM, TPF, and GPM would be less harmful to the space program overall than would further delays to the CEV program. I simply believe that further delays to CEV are strategically more damaging to this nation than are delays to other missions. I stand by this view."

Posted by kcowing at 11:10 AM Permalink Snip
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http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19576
Remarks to the National Space Club by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin
STATUS REPORT
Date Released: Friday, February 10, 2006
Source: NASA HQ
9 February 2006

Three years ago, members of the National Space Club were dealing with some of the darkest days ever known to our space program, the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew. In the days and months following the loss of Columbia, there was an extensive discourse concerning our nation's lack of clear, coherent, and compelling goals for the nation's human spaceflight program. NASA was seen to be suffering from a period of uncertainty and benign neglect concerning the broader purposes of our space enterprise.

Admiral Hal Gehman and the members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) recognized that merely determining the proximate cause of the accident, and returning the shuttle to flight, would be an insufficient remedy. The policy discussion of that period was both needed and timely, and I felt privileged to have a small voice in it as a private citizen. I am now even more honored to be leading our nation's civil space program out of that dark period and into what House Science Committee Chairman Boehlert referred to as a Renaissance period. All of us here hope that he is right.

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Simply stated, the Vision for Space Exploration asserts that the proper goal of the nation's space program is that of human and robotic exploration beyond low Earth orbit. After extensive and thoughtful discussion, the Congress explicitly and overwhelming ratified the President's view last December. Quoting from NASA's 2005 Authorization Bill, the Agency is directed to "establish a program to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon, including a robust precursor program, to promote exploration, science, commerce, and United States preeminence in space, and as a stepping stone to future exploration of Mars and other destinations." The Vision for Space Exploration is the law of the land. It is now up to NASA to carry forward this Vision and other priorities of the Congress and the President within the resources provided.

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First, the Vision for Space Exploration respects both old commitments and new dreams. The President has reaffirmed yet again our nation's commitment to our partners on the International Space Station. NASA will complete the assembly of the Space Station using the minimum possible number of Space Shuttle flights to do so, prior to its retirement by 2010. My hope is that by maintaining that commitment, our international partners will view NASA and the United States as good partners through thick and thin, good people with whom to team in future endeavors of space exploration and scientific discovery.
Second, we will build the Crew Exploration Vehicle to return to the Moon, and then later we will set course Mars, and eventually beyond.

We will help drive the creation of a new space industry in low Earth orbit and beyond in such a way that NASA becomes a reliable and supportive customer for that industry.
We will do these things in concert with other nations having similar interests and values. And, as we look forward to the events that will define this century and beyond, I have no doubt that the expansion of human presence into the solar system will be among the greatest of our achievements.

In order to maintain momentum for this multi-generational journey, we must have a broad base of support among the American public. Exploration must become, in the public mind, nothing more or less than "what NASA does." I believe that the greatest contribution that NASA makes in educating the next generation of Americans is providing worthy endeavors for which students will be inspired to study difficult subjects like math, science, and engineering because they too share the dream of exploring the cosmos. Space exploration is the most technically challenging endeavor that nations do, and it is also one of the most exciting and inspirational. I continue to be awed by rocket launches, even though I've seen dozens. I'm awed by pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope of galaxies colliding and gaseous nebula forming new stars. I'm awed by the bravery of our astronauts. I'm amazed by the insights our scientists discover about our home planet, and what they find out about other planets in our solar system. We need to share this sense of awe with the broader public.

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The first element of this flight plan is of course the Crew Exploration Vehicle, or CEV. We translated the requirements of the exploration architecture into detailed requirements for the CEV, and the final RFP for this crucial new system is in the hands of the contractors who will bid on it. For those of you who thought last year was busy for NASA, I want you to buckle your seat belts and place your trays in the upright and locked position. 2006 presents even more challenges. This year, we will re-start the assembly of the International Space Station, after fixing the PAL ramp foam debris. The next test flight, STS-121, commanded by Colonel Steve Lindsay, will help us determine whether NASA can safely return the Space Shuttle to its primary task of assembling the International Space Station.

This next flight will also tell us whether the Space Shuttle can safely conduct a fifth servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope in 2008.

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[WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT - LRK -]
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
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