Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on Today’s Successful SpaceX Launch at Cape Canaveral

Today, in lifting our ambitions and our imaginations to the heavens, the United States has once more reshaped the future of space travel. When Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to the International Space Station, they added their names to the long list of heroes who have changed the way we think about our universe and our place in it. Their voyage not only marks the return of American astronauts traveling to space from U.S. soil, but a pioneering new phase of public-private cooperation for the peaceful exploration of space.

I congratulate NASA, SpaceX, and all the hardworking women and men who made today a victory for American innovation and persistence. This mission represents the culmination of work begun years ago, and which President Obama and I fought hard to ensure would become a reality. We planted the seeds of today’s success during the 2009 Recovery Act, which according to NASA, has saved taxpayers up to $30 billion and invigorated an aerospace industry in Florida that accounts for more than 130,000 jobs in the state.

As President, I look forward to advancing America’s commitment to pursuing space exploration and unlocking scientific discoveries that will inspire a new generation of dreamers to gaze up at the sky and imagine all that our future may hold.