Nelson backs effort for additional shuttle mission

December 7, 2007

WASHINGTON – Government officials have said they’ll have to ground a $1.5 billion experiment from the space station, because the remaining 13 shuttle flights are booked with construction and supply jobs. 

But U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says that defeats the whole purpose of having a space station - which is to do scientific experiments.

So, the senator says if there’s not enough flights left, NASA will just have to add one.  As the senator who heads a subcommittee that oversees the space program, he’s in a pretty good position to make that happen.

He says he’ll join with Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to file legislation that would add an extra mission to the shuttle program, which is due to end in 2010.

Nelson will be available to discuss this plan tomorrow at Kennedy Space Center, where he’ll be attending the mid-afternoon launch of the shuttle Atlantis.  Nelson is himself a veteran of a shuttle mission.  In 1986, he was a crew member aboard the shuttle Columbia on a six-day flight. 

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