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Originally Processed With FOIA(s): FOIA Number: S; 1999-0093-F FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential Library Staff. Record Group/Collection: George H.W. Bush Presidential Records Collection/Office of Origin: Speechwriting, White House Office of Series: Smith, Curt, Files Subseries: Chron File, 1989-1992 OA/ID Number: 13888 Folder ID Number: 13888-016 Folder Title: Space Shuttle, Washington D.C., 5/17/89 Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: G 18 29 1 4 us for will from minus 3 (Smith/Blessey) SCARM May 13, 1989 Draft One END (fryor PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: SPACE SHUTTLE ROSE GARDEN And in WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1989 Commander Walker and Crew, friends and families of the Shuttle Atlantis, boys and girls, my fellow Americans. It is a pleasure to be with you. And to welcome you, as pioneers exploring the horizons of America's technological future, to a house which embodies the greatness of America's present, and her past. 10 That spirit marks these ceremonies. For we celebrate today the continuity of America's space program, and of America herself. In Atlantis, we salute achievement which has come to pass. And in Endeavour, the glory which still lies ahead. Adlai Stevenson once spoke of the "awful majesty of outer space. " We see that majesty today, feel it. For the crew of Shuttle Atlantis has linked it with the promise of man. And the students who named the new Space Shuttle orbiter -- they, too, feel it For they know that space will shape America's dreams of the 21st century. occespane langury Two weeks ago, nearly people welcome Atlantis back to Edwards Air Force Base. They were there to pay America's respects to your bravery and your enterprise. And to reaffirm that as Americans nothing is impossible. Our destiny leads onward and upward -- to the moon, to Venus my friends, to to harness the skies. 1 My 3 design The Atlantis orbiter launched the Magellan spacecraft. And has Magellan, of course, 1578. marks the first U.S. planetary mission in presh myelle nearly 12 years. And It will allow us to relay data from all of our scientific satellites to earth. And yield the most detailed picture to data of the planet Venus. It will map up to 90 per cent of the planetary surface. Improve our knowledge of the planet's structure and geophysics, And our knowledge of Venus surface physics, such as temperature and roughness. From these and other feats, we will learn more about Venus, and thus ourselves. For Venus is the planet most like Earth in size, mass, and distance from the sun. Magellan will reaffirm America's genius in science and technology. And as it does, your Nation will thank you -- as I do now -- from the bottom of our heart. In uses, selm ml And in coming years, we will build upon your beginnings. We will push back the frontiers in science and exploration. And we will explore them through America's technology, endeavors, and yes, leaders of tomorrow. Sucrden "le u Some of those leaders are here today -- from Mississippi, and from Georgia. 40 sures You ha, a yven Dis statem resaid c small u "You yours herai you a posking. Th sun le shaller in les. fwbynaming mher. nn spare shell usin Edemor, ina national cypering sheen, L 6100. engle ( Lubeness elentry slas, us she and how Asicia lystement 4 how email miss 1 insty Box me Rdeam a verne's Delies 6 as the year 11. La when me th i cales sindlyses from Senatotia the and shas spare Mod lawl in, is The cases Selal we havins le i my secrobson, in .owe elery snles The eam use my ceaula sp me Activer ort or we welen in $ exper up chee. upo quarts panelp Shantsa u Chil sustabled officer. packagis persod. paylord connication expects. r alla spaesent. -mle , CCSSO organing viplass 1 as unlves. Uah eres: Blu are Divis I golden sad 7 exiz- 3en smille Ale ve the a terms And Iman in too sa and miny :- in ulah Aii care Falls, Ca his inc. Las developed Rep is a .114 all mga Tah, is Dain les uslend musy "Math geoging Tall the unl Sue Cool. AM Col's cearel 18-h ap lay, lakin is h ispace puger Find 1 so (150- "\\ Exploranion Earth. copaing develop - is link eyien En we was k science he ihic research us. calls we Canh les or senerplania to adeams iniversis b income uspap ile ques, which are Program intend shoul esh-e 1 Natiral spares ind 10 Aero- Lich more spare alead signer acour, in Un hmslis connadal M by Misr Jones Endeam Brisl explain, ashome oreal transit will by lass. Satiu realn corr, 1768 a an Edeams so mails wyse, Carl the plan Jews. the recorded M plact Spal hapen in in mid 1990s. Attain drows, Callo coping [qu Und were picks alleyde form give Lar hn replani U.es discus. F Coole exply he NASA; en, C birth AM Edea Whelle, disague sing Pim in Care Ua Nadia - asni Antil 2 Some of you may recall how : Winston Churchill said, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. " Well, Magellan was named after the sea-faring explorer of the 16th century. And as the first U.S. planetary mission since 1978, it marks the rebirth of America's planetary program. From Magellan, we will learn more about Venus, and thus ourselves. For Venus is the planet most like Earth in size, mass, and distance from the sun. To Commander Walker and his Atlantis crew, my heart-felt congratulations. Today, America salutes your courage and enterprise. For you have reaffirmed you Nation's genius in science and technology. And yet, it's only a beginning. Four more solar-system missions through the mid-1990s. And 13 more shuttle flights in 1989 and '90. These flights will chart new frontiers in science and exploration. And we will explore those frontiers through the leaders of tomorrow. We see those leaders in the students here today -- from Mississippi, and from Georgia. For in a nationwide orbiter- naming competition, involving over 71,000 students and 6,100 entries from elementary and secondary schools, you showed how the possibilities of tomorrow point us onward and upward. 3 Both schools chose the name Endeavour, which Webster's defines as "to make an effort, strive; to try to reach or achieve. " And each of your schools has lived that definition. In the Division I category -- kindergarten through Grade Six -- the national winner is the fifth graders from Senatobia Middle School in Senatobia, Mississippi. Your team taught lower elementary students about space through the up-close and personal. Like simulating a space camp's wireless communications. Or trying on a team-made spacesuit. And in Division II -- Gradres 7 through 12 -- the winning team came from a nearby State -- Tallulah Falls School, Inc., in Tallulah Falls, Georgia. Here, students developed a math magazine, "Math Exploration With James Cook." And created a play comparing Cook's 18th-Century sea exploration to Endeavour's 20th-Century space exploration. You know, if my history doesn't fail me, Endeavour was the first ship commanded by James Cook, a British explorer, navigator, and astronomer. And in August 1768, on Endeavour's maiden voyage, Cook observed and recorded the transit of the planet Venus. In a sense, then, the Magellan mission completes the circle -- from Cook, detailing Venus, to Magellan, exploring Venus. And 4 Endeavour will continue the tradition of discovery --again, continuity through space. The orbiter-naming contest was, and is, a partnership between NASA and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The CCSSO played a key role in organizing and implementing this contest. And I would like to thank its members. And also my good friend Congressman Tom Lewis, whose legislation created the event. But most of all, I want to thank you -- Commander Walker and crew, and the students. For you have acted not for ourselves alone -- but for generations to come. And in so doing, you are making possible -- now, and tomorrow -- that picture of the orbiter lifting off, its rise a swirl of magic. And of Americans cheering its safety and success. And dreaming of the new worlds, and faraway heavens, which form America's destiny. That is the continuity of America. And of our space shuttle program which points us toward the stars. Thank you, my heart- felt congratulations, God bless you, and God bless America. # # # #