Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT) today lauded the Administration’s announcement that NASA has settled on plans for the replacement to the now retired space shuttle. The announcement made today confirms that Alliant Techsystems (ATK)-produced solid rocket boosters will, in fact, be an essential component of the new plan to launch a test flight into low earth orbit by 2017. ATK has facilities located in Northern Utah.
“While today’s announcement is welcome news, I remain very concerned that, under the current Administration, much uncertainty remains with regards to the future of NASA and its commitment to manned space travel,” said Bishop. “However, today’s announcement does help address some of the looming uncertainty that has been surrounding NASA’s commitment to any future manned space exploration. I am pleased that the Administration and NASA have finally settled on a plan for the immediate future.
“Allowing our leadership in space exploration to lapse is detrimental not only to the future of space exploration but also to our missile defense capabilities. I am proud that ATK’s impressive record of success and many contributions to advancements in space exploration have been recognized and that they will continue to play a pivotal role in future exploration of the cosmos.”