Wicker, McCarthy salute NASA, SpaceX for new launch

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) last week congratulated the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and SpaceX for launching two astronauts from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

The May 30 launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft marks the first time American astronauts have launched into orbit from U.S. soil in nearly 10 years, and is also the first time that NASA astronauts were transported into orbit by a commercial space company.

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will spend several weeks on the ISS before returning to Earth and landing in the Atlantic Ocean.

“The mission represents the return of American human spaceflight capabilities and paves the way for commercially offered flights to Earth’s orbit,” said Sen. Wicker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “I applaud NASA and SpaceX on this momentous achievement and for keeping our nation at the forefront of the New Space Race.”

Rep. McCarthy also applauded the teams at NASA and SpaceX for building upon the nation’s proud legacy of innovation and spaceflight.

“The launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft is a testament to American ingenuity and our country’s profound ability to overcome challenges as they arise, particularly in the age of COVID-19,” Rep. McCarthy said.

The congressman also said he was proud that California’s 23rd Congressional District, which he represents, has made critical contributions to space missions like Apollo and continues to make groundbreaking accomplishments.

“I greatly support our country’s cutting-edge space endeavors. It wasn’t that long ago that spaceflight seemed nearly impossible,” he added. “Now, this historic step will take our nation’s space enterprise to new heights, and I look forward to witnessing what our country does next.”