Space Shuttle "Discovery" STS-121 Mission

SPACE SHUTTLE ``DISCOVERY'' STS-121 MISSION -- (Senate - July 18, 2006)

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, yesterday, July 17, 2006, marked the successful conclusion of the STS-121 space shuttle Discovery mission with its safe landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This 13-day mission was the 115th shuttle mission and the 18th to visit the International Space Station. STS-121 satisfied its ``return to flight'' objectives by flight testing improvements to the shuttle and testing on-orbit shuttle repair procedures. This flight provided more than 28,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to the space station and enabled its number of occupants to grow to three. STS-121 included three important spacewalks and laid the groundwork for the continued assembly, and ultimately doubling in size, of the space station.

I applaud the bravery, expertise, and accomplishments of the STS-121 crew--Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak, Thomas Reiter, Piers Sellers, and Stephanie Wilson. This successful mission is a testament to the thousands of people who work on the space shuttle and space station programs.

Mr. President, we must continue with our plans to fly the space shuttle in order to complete the construction of the International Space Station. Equally important, we must work together to preserve the workforce that will soon become the backbone of the new crew exploration vehicle and the next human space project.

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