Message from the NASA Administrator 2012 Year-End Message
You may also view the Administrator’s video message on: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=157346621
To learn more about the achievements of NASA and its talented work force in 2012, view:
This Year at NASA, 2012: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=157200021
Interactive Feature: 2012 Year in Review: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/YIR12/
Administrator Bolden’s 2012 Year-End Message.
On behalf of Deputy Lori Garver and me, I want to wish the entire NASA Family a happy, safe, and blessed holiday season. As we approach a new year, we have much for which to be proud and thankful in 2012.
Each of you has had a role in our many successes. I want to thank you for your continued dedication to NASA and for all of your efforts that are keeping America the leader in space exploration.
NASA achieved historic milestones this year, landing the most sophisticated rover on the surface of Mars, returning space station resupply missions to U.S. soil and continuing to advance the systems needed to send humans deeper into space — beyond the moon, to an asteroid, and on to Mars.
Because of you – our talented and dedicated work force – we are able to keep the United States the world leader in space exploration and continue to implement America’s bipartisan space plan.
Our first successful completion of a commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station in October marked a new chapter in our partnership with industry as NASA focuses on destinations farther in our solar system. We also announced new agreements with three American companies to design and develop the next generation of U.S. human spaceflight capabilities, enabling a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next five years.
We gave the space shuttle orbiters their final moments in the sky as they moved to new homes where they will inspire a new generation of explorers even as we build on their legacy to achieve more in space.
Throughout all this, we continued to make advances toward the capabilities and missions of tomorrow. More than 200 experiments were conducted on the International Space Station this year alone as we celebrated 12 years of continuous human habitation and worked to make the most of this unique orbiting laboratory that is helping us reach toward new destinations.
The many other milestones of this year continue to define the spirit of innovation and accomplishment that has always been NASA’s signature. Florida welcomed the arrival of the first space-bound Orion spacecraft. We successfully demonstrated IRVE, an inflatable reentry system that could help us land on other planets. We launched NuStar and the Van Allen probes; celebrated the ongoing success of Landsat and our fleet of Earth observation satellites; were amazed by the startling images of the sun returned by the Solar Dynamics Observatory; and applauded the work of Aeronautics to minimize sonic booms and move us toward the aircraft of tomorrow.
There’s no way I can cover the full spectrum of amazing things that the NASA Family accomplished together on behalf of the nation this year. But I know the NASA workforce will continue to do incredible work to make it possible for us to reach even higher.
Our future is bright because we don’t rest on our laurels. We build on our successes. We learn from our failures, and together we create a space program that leads the world in innovation and inspiration.
All year, I’ve been saying that we are already in a new era of exploration and it’s true.
I am very proud of all of our accomplishments, and I am proud of each and every one of you, THE BEST TEAM IN GOVERNMENT! Together, we’ve faced incredible challenges and we always come out with workable solutions. You’ve always enabled NASA to do the big things that no one but us can accomplish.
I know I can count on all of you to excel again in 2013. As we go our respective ways this Blessed Holiday Season to share time with friends and family, I hope you will take great pride in this year’s accomplishments and share my hope for a bright future that we will bring about together. From all us in the A-Suite – HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!
Charlie B.
