Hatch Statement on the Orion Launch
Washington, D.C. — Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the most senior Republican in the United States Senate, issued the following statement regarding the Orion launch:
“The Orion launch is a major step towards deep-space exploration that is long overdue. Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon reawakened our natural pioneer spirit, inspiring generations of scientists and engineers to push the frontiers of human existence. That legacy is alive and well today. I'm proud that the engine technologies involved in this launch were built in Utah and I hope Utahns will continue to play a key role as Americans journey to the stars and beyond.”
Senator Hatch has been active in Congress’s efforts to keep U.S. space travel alive, authoring payload requirements for a heavy-lift Space Launch System in the 2010 NASA bill and working with NASA administrators in Utah to maintain the state’s role in building the solid rocket motors required for these spacecrafts.
