2014 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 14-020 BY SENATOR(S) Todd, Aguilar, Balmer, Baumgardner, Brophy, Cadman, Crowder, Grantham, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Herpin, Hill, Hodge, Jahn, Johnston, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, King, Lambert, Lundberg, Marble, Newell, Nicholson, Renfroe, Rivera, Roberts, Scheffel, Schwartz, Steadman, Tochtrop, Ulibarri, Zenzinger, Carroll; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Kraft-Tharp and Rankin, Becker, Buck, Buckner, Conti, Court, DelGrosso, Dore, Duran, Everett, Exum, Fields, Fischer, Foote, Garcia, Gardner, Gerou, Ginal, Hamner, Holbert, Hullinghorst, Humphrey, Joshi, Kagan, Labuda, Landgraf, Lawrence, Lebsock, Lee, May, McCann, McLachlan, McNulty, Melton, Mitsch Bush, Moreno, Murray, Navarro, Nordberg, Pabon, Peniston, Pettersen, Primavera, Priola, Rosenthal, Ryden, Saine, Salazar, Schafer, Singer, Sonnenberg, Swalm, Szabo, Tyler, Vigil, Waller, Williams, Wilson, Wright, Young, Ferrandino. CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF MARCH 24, 2014, AS "COLORADO AEROSPACE DAY", AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, COMMEMORATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COLORADO CHAPTER OF CITIZENS FOR SPACE EXPLORATION. WHEREAS, Our nation and the world have significantly benefited from technological and scientific advances resulting from space exploration and aerospace activities; and WHEREAS, At the dawn of the space age, there were two nations that could put people into space -- the United States and the Soviet Union; and WHEREAS, Today there are still two nations that can put people into space, but the United States is no longer one of them; and WHEREAS, The United States has been replaced by China as the second nation, alongside Russia, that can put people into space using their own national assets; and WHEREAS, The United States lost the ability to put people in space with the end of NASA's Space Shuttle Program in 2011 and now has to transfer $70 million out of our economy and into the economy of Russia for each astronaut our nation puts into space; and WHEREAS, Colorado is key to regaining the United States' ability to send people into space again using our own national assets with programs from several Colorado companies that are building the space vehicles and launch systems necessary to restore our nation's spaceflight ability; and WHEREAS, Key to Colorado's prominence in aerospace are two organizations -- first, the Colorado Space Coalition, a group of industry stakeholders, including aerospace companies, military leaders, academic organizations, research centers, and economic development groups, who promote Colorado's significant space assets and advance legislation vital to industry growth and to successfully working to make Colorado a center of excellence for aerospace; and, second, the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, a group that brings together aerospace stakeholders from industry, government, and academia for roundtable discussions and business development and that encourages grassroots citizen participation in aerospace issues; and WHEREAS, Restoring our nation's leadership in space is important to our national security and our ability to continue to lead the world in technology and innovation, ensuring the economic security of the United States; and WHEREAS, Restoring our nation's leadership in space depends on our citizens understanding the importance and value of space because, for all its problems, Congress does largely work as intended -- members of Congress react to the issues their constituents feel are important, and not many citizens are telling their elected officials that they want to restore our nation's leadership in space; and WHEREAS, For perspective, the first bank bailout in 2009 of $850 billion was more money spent in one year than NASA has received in its entire history; and WHEREAS, The Colorado Space Business Roundtable is forming a Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration, which will hold several events each year where citizens will be invited to learn about space, the value of space, and public policy involving space, with the goal of informing citizens about the importance of space and restoring our nation's leadership and funding for space activities; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-ninth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: (1) That we strongly urge and request the federal branches of government to take action to preserve and enhance United States' leadership in space, to spur aerospace innovation, and to ensure our continued national and economic security by preserving and increasing funding for space exploration and activities, including regaining the ability of the United States to deliver persons and cargo to space by 2015 and committing to sending persons to destinations such as the moon, Lagrange points, asteroids, and Mars within this decade or as soon as technologically possible; (2) That we commend the Colorado Space Business Roundtable on its public outreach and organization efforts in forming a Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration; and (3) That we hereby declare March 24, 2014, to be "Colorado Aerospace Day". Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this Joint Resolution be sent to Governor John Hickenlooper; Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia; Mr. Charles Huettner, Executive Director, Aerospace States Association; Mr. Elliott Pulham, Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation; Major General (Retired) Andy Love, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; Mr. Tom Marsh, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; Mr. Edgar Johansson, President, Colorado Space Business Roundtable; Ms. Stacey DeFore, Chair, Colorado Space Business Roundtable; Citizens for Space Exploration; and the members of Colorado's Congressional delegation. ____________________________ ____________________________ Morgan Carroll Mark Ferrandino PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Cindi Markwell Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES