Hall Statement On Decision Not To Retire A Shuttle In Houston

WASHINGTON, DC . . . Today in response to the announcement made by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding where the Administration has chosen to place the three retired Space Shuttle orbiters, Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), Chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, made the following statement:

“I am extremely disappointed that the Administration has chosen to not house one of the three retired shuttles in Houston, Texas. It is without question that Houston has played a critical role in carrying out shuttle missions. Planning, training and mission control have all been based out of the Johnson Space Center. Houston has played an historic role in human space flight, ever since President John F. Kennedy gave his famous speech announcing to the world that ‘we choose to go to the Moon,’ at neighboring Rice University.

“Yesterday, Administrator Bolden reiterated his intention to follow the language signed into law in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and place the retired orbiters in cities with an ‘historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing’ of the Shuttle program.
“Houston is the rightful place for a space shuttle to be put on permanent display, and I am disappointed and saddened that this decision appears to have been made without regard to Houston’s unique contribution to human space flight.

“The Shuttle program’s great successes paved the way to ensuring that America is the world leader in human space exploration. While I am disappointed with this decision, I am still extremely supportive of all that the Shuttle program has accomplished, and I am sure that our highly skilled workforce will go on to lead America’s next exploration program.”