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Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:21:04 EDT
From: KokhMMM@aol.com
Subject: Obama Statement on Space after India Chandrayaan-1 launch

*Statement from Barack Obama on India's Lunar Launch*

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=26772

With India's launch of its first unmanned lunar spacecraft following
closely on the heels of China's first spacewalk, we are reminded just
how urgently the United States must revitalize its space program if we
are to remain the undisputed leader in space, science, and technology.

My comprehensive plan to revitalize the space program and close the gap
between the Space Shuttle's retirement and its next-generation
replacement includes $2 billion more for NASA - but more money alone is
not enough. We must not only retain our space workforce so that we don't
let other countries surpass our technical capabilities; we must train
new scientists and engineers for the next generation. My comprehensive
space policy focuses on reaching new frontiers through human space
exploration, tapping the ingenuity of our commercial space
entrepreneurs, fostering a broad research agenda to break new ground on
the world's leading scientific discoveries, and engaging students
through educational programs that excite them about space and science.

As a child, I remember sitting on my grandfather's shoulders and
watching the Apollo astronauts return from a splashdown to Hickam Air
Force Base, dreaming of where they had been. It inspired my imagination
and gave me confidence in what we as Americans could achieve. It's time
for a space program that inspires our children again. As President, I
will lead our space program boldly into the 21st Century - so when my
daughters, and all our children, look up to the skies, they see
Americans leading the way into the deepest reaches of our solar system.

- -----

This is somewhat reassuring

Peter