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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 16, 2004

President's Statement on the Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy

I am pleased that Chairman Pete Aldridge and the members of the Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy have developed recommendations supporting the vision for America's space program. I appreciate their hard work and service.

The Commission's report makes clear that this vision, which I announced in January, is a sustainable and affordable long-term human and robotic program to explore space. We will explore space to improve our lives and lift our national spirit. Space exploration is also likely to produce scientific discoveries in fields from biology to physics, and to advance aerospace and a host of other industries. This will help create more highly skilled jobs, inspire students and teachers in math and science, and ensure that we continue to benefit from space technology, which has already brought us important improvements in areas as diverse as hurricane forecasting, satellite communications, and medical devices.

The Commission worked diligently to collect ideas from a variety of voices from across the country, and to develop innovative recommendations. The Commission's recommendations will be reviewed and considered, and NASA will accelerate the transformation it has begun. I am confident that the Commission's report will help Congress, NASA, other government agencies, the private sector, the international community, and the American public to work together to undertake the next steps in our journey into space for the benefit of generations to come.

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