Hutchison Statement on Shuttle Orbiter Decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) today expressed deep disappointment in NASA’s decision not to award one of the four retired shuttle orbiters to Houston’s Johnson Space Center. She released the following statement:

“Obviously, I am extremely disappointed that NASA did not select Houston to house one of the retired shuttle orbiters, despite the fact that the space shuttle program’s history is inextricably linked to Johnson Space Center. Throughout its 30-year history, the program has been managed in Houston, each mission has been controlled by the talented professionals at Mission Control, and astronauts who have flown on shuttles have been trained and lived in the community. NASA’s current human space flight mission, the International Space Station, was completed using the shuttle fleet and is also managed at Johnson Space Center. It is unthinkable that the home of human space flight would not represent the ideal home for a retired orbiter. I specifically asked NASA Administrator Bolden to follow the law, which stipulates priority should be given to communities with strong historical ties to NASA, and in particular the shuttle program.

“I continue to hope that the administration will understand and at some point acknowledge the importance of the Johnson Space Center and its unmatched contribution to the space program.
“While this is deeply disheartening news, it does not in any way diminish the pivotal role Houston has played throughout NASA’s entire manned space flight program – or its future mission. I could not be more proud of the world-class workforce of Johnson Space Center and Houston’s space heritage,” said Sen. Hutchison.