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President Bush's Speech on Space Policy Goals -- Full Text

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Eric William Tilenius

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Aug 1, 1989, 6:00:02 PM8/1/89

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release July 20, 1989

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF
APOLLO MOON LANDING

The Steps of the Air and Space Museum
Washington, D.C.

10:30 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very, very much. And thank you, Mr.
Vice President, for your introduction and for undertaking to head
the National Space Council and for -- already for demonstrating
your skill for leadership there.

And thanks to all of you, who have braved the weather to join us
today. Behind me stands one of the most visited places on Earth -
- a symbol of American courage and ingenuity. And before me stand
those on whose shoulders this legacy was build -- the men and women
of the United States astronaut corps.

And we are very proud to be part of this unprecedented gathering
of America's space veterans -- and to share this stage with three
of the greatest heroes of this or any other century -- the crew of
Apollo 11.

It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed. Neil and Buzz, who
originated the moonwalk 15 years before Michael Jackson ever even
though of it. (Laughter.)

And Michael Collins -- former director of this amazing museum --
and the brave pilot who flew alone on the dark side of the Moon,
while Neil and Buzz touched down. Mike, you must be the only
American over age 10 that night who didn't get to see the Moon
landing. (Laughter.)

And later this evening, after the crowd disperses and the sun goes
down, a nearly full Moon will rise out of the darkness and shine
down on an America that is prosperous and at peace. And for those
old enough to remember that historic night 20 years ago -- step
outside tonight with your children or your grandchildren. Lift
your eyes skyward, and tell them of the flag -- the American flag -
- that still flies proudly in the ancient lunar soil.

And for those who were not yet born, or then too young to recall -
- you who are the children of the new century -- raise your eyes
to the heavens and join us in a great dream -- an American dream -
- a dream without end.

Project Apollo. The first men on the Moon. Some called it
quixotic, impossible -- had never been done. But America dreamed
it. And America did it. And it began on July 16th, 1969. The sun
rose a second time that morning as the awesome fireball of the
Saturn Five lifted these three pioneers beyond the clouds. A crowd
of one million -- including half of the United States Congress -
- held its breath as the Earth shook beneath their feet -- and our
view of the heavens was changed forevermore.

Three days and three nights they journeyed. It was a perilous,
unprecedented, breathtaking voyage. And each of us remember the
night.

Barbara and our daughter Dorothy were with me in our red brick
house right here on the outskirts of Washington, where we moved up
here to represent Houston in the United States Congress. Our 12-
year-old kid, Marvin, was on a trip out West with family friends
and remembers stopping at a roadside motel to watch. Second boy,
Jeb, 16 that summer, teaching English and listening by radio in a
small Mexican village, where electricity had yet to arrive.

The landing itself was harrowing. Alarms flashed -- and a computer
overload threatened to halt the mission while Eagle dangled
thousands of feet above the Moon. Armstrong seized manual control
to avoid a huge crater strewn with boulders. With new alarms
signalling a loss of fuel -- and the view now blocked by lunar dust
-- Mission Control began the countdown for a mandatory abort.

America -- indeed the whole world -- listened -- a lump in our
throat and a prayer on our lips. And only 20 seconds of fuel
remained. And then out of the static came the words: "Houston.
Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Within one lifetime, the human race had traveled from the dunes of
Kitty Hawk to the dust of another world. Apollo is a monument to
our nation's unparalleled ability to respond swiftly and
successfully to a clearly stated challenge -- and to America's
willingness to take great risks for great rewards.

We had a challenge. We set a goal. And we achieved it.

So today is not only an occasion to thank these astronauts and
their colleagues -- the thousands of talented men and women across
the country whose commitment, creativity, and courage brought this
dream to life. It's also a time to thank the American people for
their faith -- because Apollo's success was made possible by the
drive and daring of an entire nation committed to a dream.

In the building behind me are the testaments to Apollo and to what
came before -- the chariots of fire flown by Armstrong, Yeager,
Lindbergh, and the Wrights. And in the National Archives -- across
the great expanse of grass -- are preserved the founding documents
of the idea that made it all possible -- the world's greatest
experiment in freedom and diversity.

And here -- standing between these twin legacies -- is a fitting
place to look forward to the future.

Because the Apollo astronauts left more than flags and footprints
on the Moon. They also left some unfinished business. For even
20 years ago, we recognized that America's ultimate goal was not
simply to go there and go back -- but to go there and go on.

Mike Collins said it best: "The Moon is not a destination -- it's
a direction."

And space is the inescapable challenge to all the advanced nations
of Earth. And there's little question that, in the 21st century,
humans will again leave their home planet for voyages of discovery
and exploration. What was once improbable is now inevitable.

The time has come to look beyond brief encounters. We must commit
ourselves anew to a sustained program of manned exploration of the
solar system -- and yes -- the permanent settlement of space. We
must commit ourselves to a future where Americans and citizens of
all nations will live and work in space.

And today, yes, we are, the U.S. is the richest nation on Earth -
- with the most powerful economy in the world. And our goal is
nothing less than to establish the United States as the preeminent
spacefaring nation.

From the voyages of Columbus to the Oregon Trail -- to the journey
to the Moon itself -- history proves that we have never lost by
pressing the limits of our frontiers.

Indeed, earlier this month, one news magazine reported that Apollo
paid down-to-earth dividends -- declaring that man's conquest of
the Moon "would have been a bargain at twice the price." And they
called Apollo "the best return on investment since Leonardo da
Vinci bought himself a sketch pad." (Laughter)

In 1961, it took a crisis -- the space race -- to speed things up.
Today we don't have a crisis. We have an opportunity.

To seize this opportunity, I'm not promising a 10-year plan like
Apollo. I'm proposing a long-range, continuing commitment.

First, for the coming decade -- for the 1990's -- Space Station
Freedom -- our critical next step in all our space endeavors.

And next -- for the new century -- back to the Moon. Back to the
future. And this time, back to stay. (Applause.)

And then -- a journey into tomorrow -- a journey to another planet
-- a manned mission to Mars. (Applause.)

Each mission should -- and will lay the groundwork for the next.
And the pathway to the stars begins, as it did 20 years ago, with
you -- the American people. And it continues just up the street
there -- to the United States Congress -- where the future of the
space station -- and our future as a spacefaring nation -- will be
decided.

And yes, we're at a crossroads. Hard decisions must be made now
as we prepare to enter the next century.

As William Jennings Bryan said -- just before the last turn of the
century: "Destiny is not a matter of chance --it is a matter of
choice. It is not a thing to be waited for -- it is a thing to be
achieved."

And to those who may shirk from the challenges ahead -- or who
doubt our chances of success -- let me say this:

To this day, the only footprints on the Moon are American
footprints. The only flag on the Moon is an American flag. And
the know-how that accomplished these feats is American know-how.
What Americans dream, Americans can do.

And 10 years from now -- on the 30th anniversary of this
extraordinary and astonishing flight -- the way to honor the Apollo
astronauts is not by calling them back to Washington for another
round of tributes. It is to have Space Station Freedom up there,
operational, and underway -- a new bridge between the worlds --
(Applause) -- and an investment in the growth, prosperity and
technological superiority of our nation.

And the space station will also serve as a stepping stone to the
most important planet in the solar system -- Planet Earth.

As I said in Europe just a few days ago, environmental destruction
knows no borders. A major national and international initiative
is needed to seek new solutions for ozone depletion, and global
warming, and acid rain. And this initiative -- "Mission to Planet
Earth" -- is a critical part of our space program. And it reminds
us of what the astronauts remember as the most stirring sight of
all. It wasn't the Moon or the stars, as I remember. It was the
Earth -- tiny, fragile, precious, blue orb -- rising above the arid
desert of Tranquility Base.

The space station is a first and necessary step for sustained
manned exploration -- one that we're pleased has been endorsed by
Senator Glenn, and Neil Armstrong, and so many of the veteran
astronauts we honor today. But it's only a first step.

And today I'm asking my right hand man, our able Vice President,
Dan Quayle, to lead the National Space Council in determining
specifically what's needed for the next round of exploration -- the
necessary money, manpower, and material -- the feasibility of
international cooperation -- and develop realistic timetables,
milestones along the way. The Space Council will report back to
me as soon as possible with concrete recommendations to chart a new
and continuing course to the Moon and Mars and beyond.

There are many reasons to explore the universe, but 10 very special
reasons why America must never stop seeking distant frontiers --
the 10 courageous astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice to
further the cause of space exploration. They have taken their
place in the heavens, so that America can take its place in the
stars.

Like them, and like Columbus, we dream of distant shores we've not
yet seen.

Why the Moon? Why Mars? Because it is humanity's destiny to
strive, to seek, to find. And because it is America's destiny to
lead.

Six years ago, Pioneer 10 sailed beyond the orbits of Neptune and
Pluto -- the first man-made object to leave the solar system. Its
destination unknown. It's now journeyed through the tenures of
five Presidents -- four billion miles from Earth.

In the decades ahead, we will follow the path of Pioneer 10. We
will travel to neighboring stars, to new worlds, to discover the
unknown. And it will not happen in my lifetime, and probably not
during the lives of my children, but a dream to be realized by
future generations must begin with this generation. We cannot take
the next giant leap for mankind tomorrow unless we take a single
step today. (Applause.)

To all of you here, our able director of NASA and other who've
served so well -- to all of you here -- and especially the
astronauts -- we wish you good luck in your quests, wherever that
may take you. Godspeed to you, one and all. And God bless the
United States of America.

Thank you all very, very much. (Applause)

END 10:46 A.M. EDT

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