3. Congressional Testimony (02/16/2017)

Download: Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Space, Feb. 16, 2017: Written Testimony Submitted to the Subcommittee

By Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt. The testimony outlines the challenges that need to be overcome in order to send human missions to Mars, emphasizing a need to return to the Moon in order to realize that goal. In his conclusion, Dr. Schmitt indicates that returning to the Moon can occur much sooner than might be expected: (“Finally, if a decision is made to move quickly to re-assert United States dominance in space, we are well positioned to do so. The geopolitical environment facing the United States today is as critical as that which faced the Congress and the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations prior to Apollo. The technical capabilities available actually significantly exceed those of May 1961. Thanks to leaders in the Congress and NASA, the development of the Space Launch System is well ahead of Saturn V development at a comparable time. The Orion spacecraft is in test phase rather than just being on the drawing board. Constellation’s Altair Lander design has progressed well beyond that of the early Lunar Module designs. Unlike the 1960s, the private sector is well positioned to support as well as partner with the government. It is time to move forward sooner rather than later.” — HHS).

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Download: Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Space, Feb. 16, 2017: Oral Presentation before the Subcommittee

By Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt. The links below provide PDF (PRC) copies of the oral presentation given before the Subcommittee, a condensed version of the submitted, written testimony linked above. A replay of the hearing itself can be seen at the Subcommittee’s Youtube website. Dr. Schmitt’s testimony begins at ca. 32:17 from the beginning. Then, Tom Stafford, Ellen Stofan, and Tom Young follow with their prepared oral statements. The remainder of the session lasts ca. 2 hr 15 min from the above point with a number of committee members asking questions after all the oral readings.

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Download: Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Space, Feb. 16, 2017: Question and Answer session with five Subcommittee members

The links below provide PDF & PRC copies of the questions asked by 5 Subcommittee members and Dr. Schmitt’s answers after all the oral readings mentioned above.

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