Statement on the Anniversary of September 11, 2001
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on September 11, 2009 | 11:10 am - Original Item - Comments (View)<P>Eight years ago today, 19 men armed with nothing more than box cutters and airplane tickets ended nearly 3000 American lives. They turned 16 acres of into ash, penetrated the headquarters of our military, and left a burning crater in - the birthplace of our republic. </p><p>
<P>September 11, 2001 will forever be a day of sorrow and reflection in the hearts and minds of Americans. We remember the firefighters and police officers who rushed into burning buildings to save the lives of others, knowing that they themselves would not make it out. We remember the passengers on United Flight 93 who were the first to fight the terrorists, saving thousands of lives while sacrificing their own. </p><p>
<P>We also remember the thousands of men and women in uniform who have given their lives since that day in defense of our freedom. Our soldiers know the war that was started that Tuesday morning continues to this day and we are determined towin. It is our duty as Americans to assist our military in their mission and never forget why they fight - never forget the events of September 11, 2001. </p><p>
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NASA Announces the Launch of the STS-128
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on August 25, 2009 | 11:12 am - Original Item - Comments (View)<P>News conferences, events and operating hours for the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are set for the upcoming launch of space shuttle Discovery. The shuttle's STS-128 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off at 1:36 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 25.</p>
<P>NASA will provide continuous STS-128 online updates, including a webcast and a blog at:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle</p>
<P>On launch day, a blog will update the countdown beginning on Monday, Aug. 24, at 8:30 p.m. Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the crew's progress and watch the spacewalks live. As Discovery's flight wraps up, NASA will offer a blog detailing the spacecraft's return to Earth.
,P>The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the shuttle launch countdown, mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa</p>
<P>Detailed lists of countdown milestones, news briefing times and participants, and hours of operation for Kennedy's news center and media credentialing office are available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news</p>
<P>For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv</p>
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Experience the Moon Landing
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on July 15, 2009 | 5:08 pm - Original Item - Comments (View)NASA will provide a unique audio "time capsule" in observance of the 40th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon. Audio from the entire Apollo 11 mission will be replayed and streamed on the Internet at exactly the same time and date it was broadcast in 1969.
The audio retrospective will begin at 6:32 a.m. CDT Thursday, July 16, two hours before the spacecraft launched. The audio will continue through splashdown of the mission at 11:51 a.m. CDT Friday, July 24, and recovery of the crew shortly afterward. The Web stream will feature the communications between the astronauts and ground teams, and commentary from Mission Control at NASA's in .
To listen to the replay, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/apollo11_radio
For historical information about Apollo 11, visit: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo11
NASA's Apollo 40th anniversary Web site provides easy access to various agency resources and multimedia about the program and the history of human spaceflight, including a gallery of Apollo multimedia features. The site is online at: http://www.nasa.gov/apollo40th
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Disaster Assistance deadline is July 14th
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on July 7, 2009 | 12:34 pm - Original Item - Comments (View)Reminder: The deadline to file an application for property damages from the April 27-28 storm and floods is July 14, 2009.
Individuals and business owners who sustained damages from the severe storm and flooding are encouraged to contact SBA at (800) 659-2955. You may also email SBA at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace their damaged or destroyed primary residence. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses and non-profit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair damaged or destroyed property, machinery and equipment, inventory and other assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to homeowners and businesses to help with the cost of making improvements that prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.
Finally, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster, regardless of whether the business suffered property damage. The deadline to return economic injury applications is February 15, 2010.
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Space Station Appearing Nationwide over July 4 Weekend
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on July 1, 2009 | 11:59 am - Original Item - Comments (View)As celebrates its 233rd birthday this holiday weekend, there will be an extra light in the sky along with the fireworks. Across the country, Americans will be treated to spectacular views of the International Space Station as it orbits 220 miles above Earth.
Many locations will have unusually long sighting opportunities of as much as five minutes, weather permitting, as the station flies almost directly overhead.
To find out when to see the station from your city, visit: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings
The largest spacecraft ever built, the station also is the most reflective. It will be brighter than most stars at dawn and dusk, appearing as a solid, glowing light, slowly traversing the predawn or evening sky. It is visible when lit by the sun while the ground below is not in full daylight. It moves across the sky too fast for conventional telescopes, but a good set of binoculars can enhance the viewing experience, even revealing some detail of the station's structure.
The station circles Earth every 90 minutes. It is 357 feet long, about the length of a football field including the end zones, and 45 feet tall. Its reflective solar arrays are 240 feet wide, a wingspan greater than that of a jumbo jet, and have a total surface area of more than 38,000 square feet.
An international crew of six astronauts, including American flight engineer Michael Barratt, is aboard the complex conducting research and continuing its assembly. Other crew members are from , Europe, and .
For more information about the station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
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NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on June 23, 2009 | 11:21 am - Original Item - Comments (View)After a four and a half day journey from the Earth, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully entered orbit around the moon. Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in , confirmed the spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion at 6:27 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
During transit to the moon, engineers performed a mid-course correction to get the spacecraft in the proper position to reach its lunar destination. Since the moon is always moving, the spacecraft shot for a target point ahead of the moon. When close to the moon, LRO used its rocket motor to slow down until the gravity of the moon caught the spacecraft in lunar orbit.
"Lunar orbit insertion is a crucial milestone for the mission," said Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at Goddard. "The LRO mission cannot begin until the moon captures us. Once we enter the moon's orbit, we can begin to buildup the dataset needed to understand in greater detail the lunar topography, features and resources. We are so proud to be a part of this exciting mission and NASA's planned return to the moon."
A series of four engine burns over the next four days will put the satellite into its commissioning phase orbit. During the commissioning phase each of its seven instruments is checked out and brought online. The commissioning phase will end approximately 60 days after launch, when LRO will use its engines to transition to its primary mission orbit.
For its primary mission, LRO will orbit above the moon at about 31 miles, or 50 kilometers, for one year. The spacecraft's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution, three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths.
The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, examining permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will return more data about the moon than any previous mission.
For more information about the LRO mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/lro
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Mission to the Moon
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on June 17, 2009 | 3:42 pm - Original Item - Comments (View)As NASA gets ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon next month, the space agency is also embarking on humankind’s return to the lunar surface.. That journey begins on Thursday, June 18, when NASA launches the next generation of exploration vehicles to study the moon’s surface in preparation for future human missions.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Thursday, June 18. There will be three attempts possible at 5:12 p.m., 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m. If launch slips to Friday, June 19, the launch opportunities would be 6:41 p.m., 6:51 p.m. and 7:01 p.m.
According to NASA, LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission at a polar orbit of about 31 miles, or 50 kilometers, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon. It will go into orbit around the moon, turning its suite of instruments towards the moon for thorough studies. The spacecraft also will be looking for potential landing sites for astronauts. LCROSS, on the other hand, will guide an empty upper stage on a collision course with a permanently shaded crater in an effort to kick up evidence of water at the moon's poles. LCROSS itself will also impact the lunar surface during its course of study.
NASA TV coverage of the launch will begin at 2 p.m. June 18. For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
For more information about the LRO and LCROSS missions, visit:
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International Travel Requirements Have Changed
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on June 4, 2009 | 2:20 pm - Original Item - Comments (View)Beginning June 1, 2009, Citizens returning home from , , the Caribbean or , by land or sea, will be required to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship. New rules went into effect for air travelers on January 23, 2007.
Here is a list of accepted documents for reentry into the :
¨ U.S. Passport - This is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies a person’s identity and nationality. It is accepted for travel by air, land and sea.
¨ U.S. Passport Card -This is a new, limited-use travel document that fits in your wallet and costs less than a U.S. Passport. It is only valid for travel by land and sea.
¨ Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – Some states and Canadian provinces are issuing this driver’s license or identification document that denotes identity and citizenship. It is specifically designed for cross-border travel into the by land or sea. driver licenses are not accepted.
¨ Trusted Traveler Program Cards - NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST enrollment cards can speed your entry into the and are issued only to pre-approved, low-risk travelers. The cards are valid for use at land or sea; the NEXUS card can be used in airports with a NEXUS kiosk.
¨ Special Groups - Information for Children, Groups of Children, Native Americans, "Closed Loop" Cruises, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, U.S. Military, Merchant Mariners, Ferries and Small Boats, and Boaters.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, having the required documents ready when you return home will help streamline the entry process and ensure your return to the U.S. is as smooth as possible.
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RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS: NOT FOR THE STATES
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on June 3, 2009 | 6:29 pm - Original Item - Comments (View)Last year, in the case of the District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court ruled in an historic 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep and bear firearms for self-defense. One day after this ruling, the National Rifle Association (NRA) sued the City of Chicago over a 1982 law which bans concealed weapons.
Yesterday, the 7th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the City of Chicago’s ordinance banning handguns and automatic weapons within the city limits claiming that last years Supreme Court decision didn’t apply to the states and municipalities. U.S. Circuit Judge Frank Easterbrook claimed that last year’s Supreme Court decision dealt with a law enacted under the authority of the national government and that the Chicago ordinance fell under the authority of the state. In April of this year, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court ruled the Second Amendment can be read as applicable to states and counties.
Throughout my years of public service, I have always been a strong supporter of gun rights. The Framers of our Constitution established the 2nd Amendment with the intent to protect each individual’s right to keep and bear arms. While I support instantaneous background checks, I do not believe that new federal laws and restrictions will do anything to curb gun violence in America. Before we pass more gun laws, we should focus our efforts on enforcing the laws that are already on the books. Please be assured that I will continue to fight for your 2nd Amendment rights.
To read more about this story, Click Here.
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NASA Gives ‘Go’ for June13 Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavor
John Culberson's House Member Office (R-TX-07) posted a Blog Post on June 3, 2009 | 5:24 pm - Original Item - Comments (View)NASA managers completed a review Wednesday of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected June 13 as the official launch date for the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 7:17 a.m. EDT from NASA's in .
Endeavour's launch date was announced following a daylong Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy. During the meeting, top NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight.
The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.
The STS-127 crew members are Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will join the space station crew and replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour to conclude a three-month stay at the station.
Polansky, who has a Twitter account named Astro_127, can be followed online at: http://www.twitter.com/Astro_127
For more information about the STS-127 crew and its mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
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