The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership is coordinating a national letter writing campaign in support of NASA and the nation’s Human Space Exploration Program. We are doing this, because we are concerned, in the midst of the unprecedented economic situation, that the administration and/or Congress may choose to defer or cancel this shining example of our country’s leadership. Imagine what Bay Area Houston would be like without JSC at the epicenter of our region’s economy.
There is much uncertainty of exactly what will come out of the Augustine Panel’s review of Human Space Exploration in its recommendation to the president. BAHEP has decided that we cannot just wait to see what the panel recommends; we should act now to help shape that decision in favor of a strong Human Space Exploration Program.
Please join me in this letter writing campaign and ask your organization, your family and friends from across the nation to join in as well. A strong grassroots swell of support will let the panel know that America wants a strong human program. We have already sent over 350 letters ourselves, not including emails.
Together we can make a positive impact on America’s Human Space Program.
Sincerely,
Bob Mitchell
President
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
Editor’s note: A sample letter, which can be used to write to the Augustine Panel or The White House, is shown below.
Sample Letter
Please modify and use your personal or organization’s letterhead
Please mail correspondence to:
Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee
NASA Headquarters
300 E. St. SW
Washington, D.C. 20024-3210
or
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee:
I would like to communicate my views on the importance of America’s continued investment in space exploration. As important as an adequate level of funding is for NASA – and it is important – maintaining a constancy of purpose in our efforts to explore and discover is critical. While I am not qualified to judge the technical merits of the current Constellation Program, I am convinced that a practice of starting over again every several years is a guaranteed formula for failure.
We have the opportunity to remain leaders in space, to develop innovative technologies, to be competitive in the world marketplace and to apply what we learn in space to improve our quality of life here on Earth. We can choose to do so, or we can forfeit our leadership to other nations.
Technology derived from the U.S. Space Program is evident in products we use daily in our lives. This technology has drastically improved healthcare options. Our automobiles are much safer today thanks to what we’ve learned in space. The explosion in the telecommunication industry that we now take for granted wouldn’t have been possible without space related technology. Everywhere we look we can see evidence of space technology improving our quality of life.
In an era where job creation is highest among our leader’s priorities, I remind you of the industries that have been created by using space technology. From cordless tools, to microcomputers, to cell phones, to miniature medical instruments, the list goes on. Industries and jobs that keep our country on the move have all benefited from technology from the U.S. Space Industry.
I urge you to come down on the side of U.S. leadership and recommend options to the president consistent with continued U.S. leadership in human space exploration. It’s critical to our country’s success.
Thank you for your consideration.
Copyright 2009. Bay
Area Houston. All Rights Reserved
