Resolution 115-2008
Commissioner Spehar
RESOLUTION.J.li...- 2008
A RESOLUTION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUESTING THE FLORIDA
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TAKE ACTION CONCERNING THE
NATIONAL STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING
SPACEFLIGHT EXPERTISE AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AND
ENSURING THAT FUTURE CREW AND CARGO LOGISTIC MISSIONS
TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION USE DOMESTIC
CAPABILITIES; AND PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE CLERK.
WHEREAS, the United States has a strategic interest in maintaining the nation's
preeminence in spaceflight; the spaceflight expertise at the Kennedy Space Center is a center of
excellence that should be maintained after the discontinuance of Space Shuttle missions; and the
United States has obligations to provide crew and cargo logistic services to the International
Space Station after the Shuttle is retired; and
WHEREAS, until the Constellation Program reaches operational status, the United
States currently plans to substantially fulfill those obligations by purchasing logistic services
with Russia, notably Soyuz and Progress flights; and these plans make the United States largely
dependent on the Russians for a five year period or more in obtaining access to the International
Space Station; and
WHEREAS, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has executed Space Act
Agreements under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Program to foster
domestic commercial capability to provide crew and cargo logistics to the International Space
Station; the COTS Program provides for four different cargo and crew logistic capabilities
known as Capabilities A, B, C, and D; and the United States is the world's premier space faring
nation because the American aerospace industry has consistently provided solutions to national
needs including those of NASA; and
WHEREAS, these talents should be tasked to providing domestic solutions to America's
crew and cargo logistic needs; and resources to be spent on procuring Russian Soyuz and
Progress logistic services would best be devoted to the development and procurement of
domestic crew and cargo logistic capabilities;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
1. The Clerk shall forward this Resolution to the State of Florida Congressional
Delegation requesting the Delegation take the following actions:
a.) The Delegation, as a whole, urge the administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration to immediately explore all
possible domestic options - including COTS Program Capabilities A,
B, C and D - to reduce or eliminate the need to procure foreign logistic
services to the International Space Station.
1
Commissioner Spehar
b.) That such efforts should not be limited to cargo logistics but should
aggressively target crew logistic needs including, but not limited to COTS
Capability D.
c.) In addition, that the Delegation encourage the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to fully utilize the
demonstrated excellence of the Kennedy Space Center for the
integration and launch of these crew and cargo logistic operations.
2. The Clerk is hereby directed to forward copies of this resolution to Senator Bill
Nelson and Senator Me! Martinez, U. S. Senate; Representative Ron Saunders,
District 120; Senator Larcenia Bullard, District 39; Senator Bill Nelson; Senator
Mel Martinez; Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, District 18; and
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, District 25.
Passed and adopted by the Monroe County Board of Commissioners at a meeting held
this 21 sl day of May, 2008.
Mayor McCoy
Mayor Pro Tem Di Gennaro
Commissioner Murphy
Commissioner Neugent
Commissioner Spehar
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AT~ANNY "; KOLHAGE, CLERK
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Deputy Clerk
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MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF
COUNTY CO SIONERS
By:
Mayor Cbarl "Sonny" McCoy
Date
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