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Washington, DC -- Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, announced that she will be leading a bipartisan Congressional Delegation of U.S. representatives from across the country to witness the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on Saturday.
Kosmas will use the opportunity to highlight the significance of a robust human spaceflight program for science, technology, and national security and to encourage her colleagues to support fully funding this critical mission.
"Experiencing a Shuttle launch first-hand is one of the best ways to understand the importance of our human spaceflight program for our economy, national security, and technological supremacy," Kosmas said. "With so few launches left before Shuttle retirement, I want my colleagues to fully grasp what it would mean for our country to have a prolonged period of time without direct access to space or the International Space Station. I am confident that after this experience, many more will join in my fight to minimize the gap and ensure that we continue to have a robust human spaceflight program."
In addition to viewing the launch, Kosmas and delegation members will tour Kennedy Space Center operations centers and meet with NASA officials and employees to discuss the progress of the next generation vehicle.
Since entering Congress in January, Kosmas has made supporting human spaceflight one of her top priorities. As a member of the House Science & Technology Committee, Kosmas has fought at every opportunity to minimize the spaceflight gap in order to preserve the Space Coast's highly skilled workforce and protect national security interests.
Confirmed Members traveling as part of the Congressional Delegation are: Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL-24), Mike Conaway (R-TX-11), Jim Costa (D-CA-20), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ-8), Parker Griffith (D-AL-5), Ralph Hall (R-TX-4), Randy Neugebauer (R-TX-19), Pete Olson (R-TX-22), Aaron Schock (R-IL-18).