BOEHLERT, CALVERT PRAISE HUBBLE DECISION

WASHINGTON - House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) issued the following statements today in response to the decision by Michael Griffin, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to approve a Space Shuttle mission in 2008 to upgrade and extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope:

Boehlert said, “I am very pleased with Administrator Griffin’s decision to service the Hubble.  This decision was based on a thoughtful and thorough analysis of the risks and benefits of a Hubble mission – an analysis that NASA had not previously undertaken.  The Science Committee pushed repeatedly, through legislation, hearings and letters for such an analysis, and Mike Griffin has been committed to such a step since he became Administrator, and he has once again followed through on his word.  The Shuttle missions to the Hubble have been by far the most important contributions the Shuttle program has made to science, and the whole nation looks forward to another successful mission that will enable the Hubble to continue to expand the horizons of human discovery and understanding of the universe.”   

Calvert said, “The Hubble Space Telescope has contributed greatly to our understanding of our galaxy and the universe.  I applaud the decision by NASA Administrator Mike Griffin to send a mission to service Hubble and allow it to reveal many more insights about the origins of the universe and answer more mysteries about deep space.” 

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