U.S. Chamber Applauds White House Space Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce welcomed the administration's new initiative for the U.S. space program.

"We are encouraged by President Bush's announcement of a bold new space vision for our country," said David Logsdon, executive director of the Chamber's Space Enterprise Council.

"The American business community, in partnership with the U.S. government, is fully prepared to meet this challenge."

The administration's new vision for the nation's space exploration program commits the United States to a long-term human and robotic program to explore the solar system, starting with a return to the moon that will ultimately enable future exploration of Mars and other destinations.

While emphasizing a stepping stone approach, the administration's initiative initially focuses on completion of the International Space Station by 2010. Once the station is completed, the plan calls for a return to the moon as early as 2015 that would set the stage for a possible manned mission to Mars.

Just five weeks ago, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called upon the White House, in a letter to Vice President Cheney, to develop and articulate a new space vision for the 21st century.

"Yesterday's announcement is consistent with the Space Enterprise Council's advocacy for national space goals that reinvigorate the national interest, revitalize the industrial base, and move us closer to understanding the universe in which we live," Logsdon said.

The Chamber launched the Space Enterprise Council in 2000 to advance the interests of a broad range of space businesses. The United States Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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04-03