[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 646 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 646
Honoring the life and legacy of Lieutenant General Thomas P. Stafford.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 16, 2024
Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Mullin) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and legacy of Lieutenant General Thomas P. Stafford.
Whereas, on September 17, 1930, Lieutenant General Thomas Patten Stafford
(referred to in this preamble as ``General Stafford'') was born in
Weatherford, Oklahoma, to Thomas and Mary Ellen Stafford;
Whereas, in 1952, General Stafford graduated with honors from the United States
Naval Academy, after which he joined the newly formed Air Force;
Whereas, in 1958, General Stafford entered the United States Air Force
Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California;
Whereas, in 1959, General Stafford graduated from the United States Air Force
Experimental Test Pilot School, receiving the A.B. Honts Award as the
outstanding graduate, and thereafter became an instructor and wrote
flight performance and aerodynamics textbooks for the school;
Whereas, in 1962, General Stafford was chosen among the second group of
astronauts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(referred to in this preamble as ``NASA'') to serve in projects Gemini
and Apollo;
Whereas, in 1965, General Stafford developed techniques for and piloted Gemini
VI, completing the first rendezvous in space;
Whereas, in 1966, General Stafford commanded Gemini IX, demonstrating 3
different types of rendezvous, including the rendezvous that would be
used in future Apollo lunar missions;
Whereas, in 1969, General Stafford commanded Apollo 10, piloted the first lunar
module to descend within 9 miles of the Moon, designated the first lunar
landing site, performed reconnaissance of future Apollo landing sites,
and completed each of the essential steps in the final preparation for
the upcoming Moon landing, including the first rendezvous around the
Moon;
Whereas General Stafford and his crew won the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences Special Trustees Award (commonly known as an ``Emmy
Award'') for initiating development of and taking the first colored
images from space;
Whereas, during the return of the Apollo 10 mission, General Stafford set the
record for the fastest speed traveled by a human, at 24,791 miles per
hour (or Mach 36), which, as of 2024, is still the record and is
documented in the Guinness World Book of Records;
Whereas, in 1975, General Stafford took command of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
for his final space mission, during which General Stafford and Cosmonaut
Alexei Leonov shook hands during docking, completing the first
international space flight and helping to diminish Cold War tensions;
Whereas General Stafford was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in
the Apollo-Soyuz mission;
Whereas, in 1975, General Stafford left NASA to serve as the commander of the
Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California;
Whereas General Stafford, as Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Research,
Development, and Acquisition, established requirements for, and
initiated development of, the first stealth attack aircraft, the F117A,
which was the only stealth attack aircraft in the world for 25 years,
and initiated the Air Force roadmap for the air superiority fighter that
is still in use in 2024;
Whereas General Stafford, just before his retirement in 1979, wrote the
specifications for, and initiated the development of, the Advanced
Technology Bomber, now known as the B-2 Stealth Bomber, the only stealth
bomber force in the world as of 2024, and initiated the development of
the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile;
Whereas, from 1991 to 1993, General Stafford led the efforts of NASA to repair
and service the Hubble Space Telescope and was presented with the NASA
Public Service Award;
Whereas, in 2011, General Stafford was awarded the Wright Brothers Memorial
Trophy for pioneering achievements that have led the way to the Moon, to
greater international cooperation in space, and to a safer United
States;
Whereas General Stafford completed more than 507 hours in space flight time and
flew more than 127 types of aircraft and helicopters during his career,
along with 4 kinds of spacecraft and 3 types of boosters;
Whereas General Stafford advised several Presidents on space policy and served
as the Chairman of the NASA Advisory Task Force on the International
Space Station;
Whereas General Stafford gave a lifetime of service to the United States--
(1) as a member of the Armed Forces;
(2) as an astronaut and commander at NASA; and
(3) while serving in other positions in the executive branch;
Whereas General Stafford contributed immensely to the space race and the
advancement of the United States in space policy and exploration; and
Whereas General Stafford demonstrated extraordinary dedication and service to
the United States throughout his distinguished career: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) honors the life and legacy of Lieutenant General Thomas
P. Stafford for his contributions to the Armed Forces and the
space mission of the United States; and
(2) extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and
friends of Lieutenant General Thomas P. Stafford.
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