Speeches by former administrators and deputy administrators from the NASA History Office.
12.17.12 - It's an honor to be recognized at a monument named for an aviation pioneer who has been responsible for so much of the history of my field being preserved. Thanks to Mr. Garber, the amazing flying machines that continually inspire new generations to take to the sky, or even to space, will be seen and appreciated for generations.
› View PDF (151 Kb)12.15.12 - This is a special honor for me in several ways. But the first real reason for my being here is in response to , a request of a mutual friend – former Illinois Congressman, current Secretary of Transportation, Peoria native, and Bradley grad, Ray LaHood.
› View PDF (236 Kb)11.02.12 - In the magnificent space ship behind me are the tangible representations of a nation's hopes and dreams. We couldn't be where are, poised for tomorrow's progress, without the space shuttle, and there are more exciting things happening right now at Kennedy and all of NASA.
› View PDF (57 Kb)10.04.12 - Thank you. There are so many people I want to thank for this honor, beginning with my parents, Charles, Sr. and Ethel Bolden and two Columbia, South Carolina school teachers – King Benjamin Lindberg Jeffcoat and James P. Neal – who taught me at an early age that if I stayed in school, stayed out of trouble and kept the faith…there was nothing I couldn’t do.
› View PDF (189 Kb)09.18.12 - Thank you for inviting me to speak here today. As a longtime supporter and board member of the Houston World Affairs Council, it's always good to reconnect with this wonderful organization.
› View PDF (164 Kb)09.13.12 - Neil will always be remembered for taking humankind’s first small step on a world beyond our own, but it was the courage, grace, and humility he displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars.
› View PDF (160 Kb)08.23.12 - Today, I’m back to announce some other significant milestones our commercial space partners are making, and highlight the other aspects of the ambitious American space program to which the President and Congress have agreed.
› View PDF (160 Kb)08.14.12 - As you may know, Curiosity is the most sophisticated rover ever built and sent to another planet. For the next two years, it will seek to answer ago-old questions about whether life ever existed on Mars – or if the planet can sustain life in the future.
› View PDF (181 Kb)08.03.12 - It's great to share your accomplishments as you near the end of the ISU Space Studies Program and to share the program's 25th anniversary. We've been so excited to have you here in Florida taking advantage of the deep resources of the Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Institute of Technology.
› View PDF (144 Kb)06.28.12 - When John first flew, he not only undertook a dangerous mission, he personified America's dreams -- what we believed we could be -- through his unflappable nature and his confidence. He helped us believe in what we could achieve.
› View PDF (190 Kb)06.16.12 - Greetings and congratulations to the graduating class of 2012 of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and thank you to the many public and private community partners who have embraced this school and these students.
› View PDF (162 Kb)06.06.12 - Crystal, Carol, Wiletta, Wesley Jr., Gary, grandkids, friends, distinguished guests and all the members of Wesley Brown’s extended family…I stand before you today as a proud child of Lt. Cmdr. Wesley A. Brown’s sacrifice.
› View PDF (143 Kb)06.06.12 - I think we all agree that the need for more qualified STEM professionals in America is everybody’s problem and all of us must be part of the solution.
› View PDF (151 Kb)05.25.12 - As we gather here this morning to talk about the future of exploration, that future is being defined -- and history is being made -- right now as the SpaceX Dragon capsule is joined with the International Space Station.
› View PDF (198 Kb)05.24.12 - For many Americans, Memorial Day has come to symbolize family gatherings and the start of summer. But, as an agency that owes so much to the men and women who serve in our armed forces, we at NASA have traditionally set aside this day to honor our nation’s fallen heroes in special ways.
› View PDF (191 Kb)05.21.12 - NASA is charting the next horizon in exploration at the same time we're making an impact on people's everyday lives. I want to talk a little this morning about what that means for small business, because those partnerships lead to innovation and job creation that impacts communities everywhere and technologies that are very often spun off for wider use.
› View PDF (157 Kb)05.18.12 - Our vision at NASA is to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind. That is a vision that challenges all of us.
› View PDF (167 Kb)05.10.12 - This is an exciting time for all of us who are devoted to space exploration, especially for the team at NASA. We are literally at the brink of a new era in space exploration.
› View PDF (212 Kb)04.17.12 - At the time of last year's National Space Symposium, we were still flying out the shuttle manifest. This morning, Discovery landed at Dulles International Airport on its way to its new home at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy center for millions of visitors to learn from and enjoy.
› View PDF (244 Kb)04.12.12 - I am extremely honored that I was invited to speak with you on this second annual United Nations International Day of Human Space Flight.
› View PDF (180 Kb)04.12.12 - Let me also say thank you to the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues for the invitation to be a part of this event tonight and to be recognized by the organization. It's quite humbling and an honor to be the first recipient of the Outstanding Leader Award.
› View PDF (194 Kb)03.31.12 - Despite a constrained fiscal environment, this budget continues to ambitiously implement the space exploration program agreed to by the President and a bipartisan majority in Congress . . . laying the foundation for remarkable discoveries here on Earth and in deep space.
› View PDF (52 Kb)03.27.12 - Despite constrained economic times, we have made sustainable choices to provide stability and continuity to existing priority programs and set the pace for opening the next great chapter in exploration.
› View PDF (56 Kb)03.08.12 - Thank you, Alexis (Brewe – SC student participant/introducer). And thanks to all of you for letting me share some time with you during this special week. Congratulations on this high honor of being accepted as a participant in the Senate Youth Program.
› View PDF (262 KB)03.02.12 - Thank you, everyone, for your moving remarks. SEN Glenn, you inspire deep respect, admiration and affection in so many people. I think even those who don't know you have a sense of the steady, confident presence you have been from the earliest days of the space program.
› View PDF (16 KB)02.13.12 - It's my privilege to share NASA's FY2013 budget -- a $17.7 billion dollar blueprint for NASA and the nation to embark on an ambitious plan of space exploration that will take us farther into the solar system than we have ever gone before.
› View PDF (175 KB)02.03.12 - At NASA, our missions have always inspired generations to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, careers and today, that need is greater than ever.
› View PDF (142 KB)01.30.12 - My military career opened vistas that I never could have dreamed possible when I was a student in the segregated South trying to live up to the high ideals of my parents to get a good education and pursue my dreams.
› View PDF (52 KB)01.26.12 - This last week of January, as we do every year, the NASA family honors those who have lost their lives carrying out our missions and pays tribute to their lives and memories.
› View PDF (244 KB)01.16.12 - As a former pilot and astronaut, I have had a few out-of-this world experiences. But I have to tell you that standing in the pulpit where Dr. King, Daddy King and now Rev. Warnock have inspired so many is an out-of-body experience for me. The spirit is truly in command this morning.
› View PDF (182 KB)12.05.11 - I start with all of these achievements because even though people think of NASA as a technical agency that does amazing science, it is good management, great people, and innovative ideas that are the backbone of our success. These are exciting times for the aerospace industry and especially for us at NASA.
› View PDF (207 KB)11.30.11 - Ever since we got our roadmap forward in the form of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 last fall -- which was passed with strong bi-partisan Congressional support and signed by President Obama -- we've been moving toward the missions of tomorrow and the capabilities we'll need to visit new places, launch cutting edge science missions and help develop the next generation of aviation systems from which we'll all benefit.
› View PDF (169 KB)11.29.11 - Thank you. I accept this award on behalf of an incredibly dedicated NASA team, including the more than 180 NASA astronauts since 1959 who have been active in Scouting. My thanks to National Capital Area Council Scout Executive, Les Baron. Congratulations on your Centennial year celebration.
› View PDF (166 KB)11.16.11 - Mr. Speaker, Mr. Reid, Mr. McConnell, Mrs. Pelosi, Members of Congress and honored guests. As we embark upon the next great chapter of human space exploration, we stand on the shoulders of the extraordinary men we recognize today. Those of us who have had the privilege to fly in space followed the trail they forged.
› View PDF (138 KB)11.15.11 - For 50 years, American astronauts have led the exploration of our solar system and expanded our knowledge about what it takes to live and work in space. Today, you are going to get a glimpse of why that will remain true for the next half-century.
› View PDF (163 KB)11.14.11 - Thank you for inviting me to join you this evening, and congratulations on your 20th anniversary. I’d like to thank the Virginia congressional delegation for their support of innovation in Virginia and the jobs and advancement it brings the nation.
› View PDF (171 KB)11.10.11 - Veterans’ Day and all it represents is very important to me. As most of you know, the majority of my career was spent as an active duty Marine.
› View PDF (166 KB)11.08.11 - Being invited to deliver the Forrestal Lecture is quite special. Believe me, I know what an honor this is and given James Forrestal’s outstanding military and political legacy, including his fight for an integrated Navy in the 1940s, I am especially honored and delighted to be here tonight.
› View PDF (171 KB)11.04.11 - For more than 50 years, America has been the world's leader in space exploration. With your help, we will continue that leadership for the next 50.
› View PDF (155 KB)11.03.11 - Small businesses are not only crucial to NASA; they are the backbone of the American economy. As the wheels of our economy continue to pick up steam, it is important to remember that small business is the engine that is getting us moving again.
› View PDF (191 KB)10.15.11 - Stennis is now a centerpiece for the agency with testing activities in direct support of the new Space Launch System as well as our Commercial Crew Program.
› View PDF (160 KB)10.01.11 - We tend to think of the future in terms of technologies, but it's your young minds and your passion for exploration that are going to create that future.
› View PDF (42 KB)09.22.11 - NASA's space missions may sometimes be more high profile, but our aeronautics work is possibly the place where our work is most seen and felt by the general public on a daily basis.
› View PDF (98 KB)09.19.11 - Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my vision of the future of NASA with folks who share my enthusiasm for aeronautics and space. After all, the first "A" in NASA stands for aeronautics. Our researchers and test facilities have made decades of contributions to improvements in aviation.
› View PDF (28 Kb)08.25.11 - Our space missions may sometimes be more high profile, but NASA's aeronautics work is possibly the place where our work is most seen and felt by the general public on a daily basis, even when they're not aware of it.
› View PDF (32 Kb)08.11.11 - These Future Forums are wonderful gatherings, because NASA is, always has been, and always will be, in the future business. It's been our job to conceive what might be possible, even though it might seem out of reach, and then marshal the human and technological resources to make it reality.
› View PDF (59 Kb)07.12.11 - NASA is aggressively moving forward with our next generation human spaceflight system development efforts as authorized.
› View PDF (67 Kb)07.01.11 - One week from today, NASA will launch its final Space Shuttle mission, turning the page on a remarkable period in America’s history in space, while beginning the next chapter in our nation’s extraordinary story of exploration.
› View PDF (82 Kb)06.07.11 - Georgia Tech alumni have had a prominent role in Space Shuttle operations, starting with John Young, commander of STS-1 and Dick Truly, pilot of STS-2.
› View PDF (44 Kb)05.26.11 - NASA and NSF have a long history of collaboration both at the human and the cosmic level.
› View PDF (35 Kb)05.25.11 - I was a teenager when President Kennedy delivered his charge to Congress to land a man on the moon and return him safely, but those words sparked my imagination, as they did for millions.
› View PDF (20 Kb)05.18.11 - For you in the Class of 2011, today is also about the future, and opportunities, and promise, and so many expectations. What a wonderful place to be! I hope you can carry some of what is in your hearts right now into the job search; into the workplace; into your role as citizens of the globe.
› View PDF (37 Kb)05.13.11 - At NASA, we think of ourselves as one big extended family, and I'd imagine you might feel the same way here at Southern U. The connections you've made during your studies run deep, and many of the people you've met and experiences you've had here have now become permanent parts of your lives.
› View PDF (49 Kb)05.11.11 - As I’m certain most--if not all--of you know, the current U.S. National Space Transportation Policy (2005) states that a “…fundamental goal of this policy is to ensure the capability to access and use space in support of national and homeland security, civil, scientific, and economic interests.”
› View PDF (48 Kb)05.05.11 - With the same spirit of innovation and grit of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Programs, we now move out on an exciting path forward where we will develop the capabilities to take humans to even more destinations in the solar system.
› View PDF (12 Kb)05.04.11 - I also want to thank the U.S. Postal Service for their initiative in bringing awareness of space flight and science to wider audiences through these two works of art, and that's really what they are.
› View PDF (71 Kb)04.12.11 - You've inspired a generation, helped make the world a better place and have given us a roadmap for future space exploration...Today belongs not just to the hundreds of men and women who have flown on the shuttle, but to all of you who have helped their missions to succeed.
› View PDF (36 Kb)04.06.11 - The ISS is the centerpiece of our human spaceflight endeavors for the coming decade – it’s our anchor for human exploration. The station's extension to at least 2020 will allow it to reach its full potential as an unprecedented orbiting laboratory.
› View PDF (52 Kb)03.30.11 - I also want to say that human spaceflight has a very bright future. We have two more flights of the Space Shuttle, including the last flight of Endeavour, STS-134, in just three weeks and the final flight of Atlantis, STS-135, in June.
› View PDF (49 Kb)03.29.11 - It's been a busy couple of weeks because there is a lot happening as we work to safely fly out the shuttle, ramp up our next generation of space transportation and exploration activities and continue our important science missions.
› View PDF (43 Kb)03.21.11 - It's appropriate that this facility is called a "life history" center. Because Ron's life mattered a lot to many people. His positive influence is still being felt and will continue to be felt for generations to come.
› View PDF (20 Kb)03.17.11 - Things have changed. I have the honor today of being the first African American administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, serving under the nation's first black president.
› View PDF (48 Kb)03.10.11 - When President Obama said in his State of the Union address that he wanted our nation to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world, we at NASA knew what he wanted. It's the kind of philosophy that has always driven our thinking and our missions.
› View PDF (34 Kb)02.14.11 - This entire NASA leadership team is working hard every day to help move NASA to the next level of innovation and excellence, and I thank each of them for their service on behalf of the American people.
› View PDF (261 KB)01.18.11 - It's my pleasure to join you tonight, in my hometown, surrounded by so much that brings back memories of my growing up and the years when Martin Luther King, Jr. was inspiring millions of people--not only with his living, vibrant oratory, but also with his deeply held beliefs. Beliefs that are timeless and universal.
› View PDF (28 Kb)01.18.11 - I speak to a lot of business and professional groups, but it's wonderful to be back in my home state as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose contributions to a more peaceful and just world will never be forgotten.
› View PDF (28 Kb)01.05.11 - At NASA, the past year has been bittersweet. Each successive shuttle flight demonstrates the expertise of the phenomenal team that launches and returns our crews safely, and adds one more notch toward construction-complete of the International Space Station.
› View PDF (58 Kb)10.14.10 - Vision: NASA leads scientific and technological advances in aeronautics and space for a Nation on the frontier of discovery. Mission: Drive advances in science, technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, and stewardship of the Earth.
› View PDF (32 Kb)10.13.10 - “On behalf of the entire NASA family, I want to ask that our heartfelt thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the courageous miners, their families and friends, and the dedicated people who have been working to safely reach those who are still trapped underground."
09.29.10 - “We thank the members of Congress for their thoughtful deliberations about NASA’s future over the past months. Both the House and the Senate provided insight, ideas and direction that were truly exemplary of the democratic process."
09.29.10 - Today, a historic vote will occur in the House of Representatives on a comprehensive NASA authorization bill that is expected to chart the future course of human space flight for years to come.
› View PDF (20 Kb)09.09.10 - From the first decade until today, NTA leadership along with its members have had a remarkable history of achievement in the areas of education, research, engineering, science and technology.
› View PDF (28 Kb)09.08.10 - Our aging air traffic control system needs new capabilities, new technologies, and new ways of looking at the big picture.
› View PDF (32 Kb)09.07.10 - Many of our astronauts count Purdue as their alma mater. From our first moonwalker Neil Armstrong to Mark Polansky, commander of last year's STS-127 space shuttle mission, I count 22 astronauts among the ranks of Boilermakers.
› View PDF (72 Kb)09.07.10 - One year ago this month, the President released his "Strategy for American Innovation," calling for federal agencies to increase their ability to promote and harness innovation by using tools such as prizes and challenges. Within the government, NASA has been a pioneer and early-adopter of challenge approaches.
07.09.10 - I’d also like to take this opportunity to announce to this audience that I have selected Ramon “Ray” Lugo for appointment as the permanent Glenn Research Director effective the 18th of this month. Ray has a long and storied history with NASA beginning at the Kennedy Space Center as a co-op in 1975.
› View PDF (32 Kb)06.15.10 - Though not my first visit to your extraordinary country, it is my first visit here and to the region as NASA Administrator and, more importantly, the first time that a NASA Administrator has visited here in pursuit of cooperation in space.
› View PDF (52 Kb)06.11.10 - Members of the Cal Tech Class of 2010 - what an extraordinary time this is in your lives and the life of this great university. Thank you again for inviting me to share this special day with you.
› View PDF (48 Kb)06.11.10 - Since last July, I have had the privilege of leading the government agency whose charter is as expansive as it is essential to modern life. As we stand here today, more than 200 miles above us six astronauts are working night and day aboard the International Space Station.
› View PDF (20 Kb)05.28.10 - I believe that the President’s FY 2011 budget request is good for NASA because it sets the agency on a sustainable path that is tightly linked to our nation’s interests. I also believe that what the President has put forward is the most authentically visionary policy for real human space exploration that we have had since President Kennedy challenged NASA to send humans to the moon.
› View PDF (48 Kb)05.26.10 - Chairman Gordon and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear today to discuss additional information about the President’s FY 2011 budget request for NASA, following the President’s important speech at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
› View PDF (96 Kb)05.24.10 - For NASA, it is a time of bold new directions, new capabilities for America’s space program, and a renewed commitment to research and technologies that, if sustained by the Congress, will assure American global space leadership for generations to come.
› View PDF (32 Kb)05.08.10 - My baby girl, Kelly, now an accomplished plastic surgeon and one of my chief mentors and counselors gave me wise advice for my address to you today--short, not too serious, tell them times will be tough, but it’s worth it!
› View PDF (72 Kb)04.22.10 - With the President’s budget, the United States has positioned itself to not only continue but also enhance our space leadership for years to come.
› View PDF (164 Kb)04.13.10 - I am honored to be here today representing the men and women of NASA. I want to say at the start that each and every one of us is absolutely committed to a vibrant future for this agency, and to the future of Human Spaceflight.
› View PDF (44 Kb)03.23.10 - The President’s FY 2011 budget request is good for NASA because it sets the agency on a sustainable path that is tightly linked to our nation’s interests.
› View PDF (108 Kb)03.16.10 - My first message to you is that this budget is good for NASA because it sets the agency on a sustainable path that is tightly linked to our nation’s interests.
› View PDF (40 Kb)02.25.10 - NASA is grateful for the support and guidance received from this Committee through the years and looks forward to working with you on enactment of the President’s bold new direction.
› View PDF (140 Kb)02.24.10 - With the President’s new direction, the NASA budget will invest much more heavily on technology R&D than recent NASA budgets, which will in turn foster new technological approaches, standards, and capabilities that are critical to enable next-generation spaceflight, Earth-sensing and aeronautics capabilities.
› View PDF (140 Kb)02.02.10 - Yesterday, we unveiled President Obama's historic budget that launched NASA on a bold and ambitious effort to explore new worlds, develop more innovative technologies, foster new industries and increase our understanding of the Earth, our solar system and the universe.
› View PDF (28 Kb)02.01.10 - President Obama today has given us a bold challenge -- to become an engine of innovation, and the catalyst for an ambitious new space program that includes and inspires people around the world.
› View PDF (68 Kb)01.05.10 - All together, NASA's Science Mission Directorate supports over 60 operating space missions. These missions are of great value to the nation and help us meet national needs in science, education, and technological innovation.
› View PDF (23 Kb)12.09.09 - Since we took office last July, Lori has been a key member of our team, and plays a crucial role in the leadership of our agency. I am lucky to have her with me as we address the challenges that await us. Lori's presence and that of many other incredibly talented women in our NASA and contractor workforce is a tribute to the dedicated work of the Women in Aerospace.
› View PDF (28 Kb PDF)10.22.09 - CFC provides a wonderful opportunity that allows all us as Federal employees show an act of love and compassion as we seek to help our children, neighbors and even fellow NASA employees.
› View PDF (12 Kb PDF)10.21.09 - Whatever direction NASA takes, technology and innovation will be keys to success.
› View PDF (40 Kb PDF)10.20.09 - Today, we at NASA are devising ways to work with companies. I urge you, and all other investors, to take notice. Space may someday soon become the new thing in investing.
› View PDF (23 Kb PDF)09.23.09 - In 1981, we successfully launched the space shuttle and put the United States back in the lead technologically as a human space flight power.
› View PDF (20 Kb PDF)09.16.09 - The NASA workforce is among our nation's most vital assets, along with our research laboratories, field centers, and all of our aviation and space hardware.
› View PDF (24 Kb PDF)09.05.09 - It is an honor to be among so many astronauts that flew the great missions at the birth of the Space Age. Because of what you did in Mercury and Gemini, Apollo was possible. And Apollo was among the greatest achievements in exploration our country and the world has ever seen.
› View PDF (21 Kb PDF)08.19.09 - NASA and DoD are very different organizations, but when it comes to space activities, we have a common foundation. Space is important to the Nation, regardless of whether the program is tagged with a NASA or DoD insignia.
› View PDF (48 Kb PDF)07.20.09 - The Apollo astronauts are heroes in the truest sense of the word. Their dedication and bravery in exploring part of President Kennedy's New Frontier is a pivotal moment in human history that still will be celebrated thousands of years from now.
› View PDF (16 Kb PDF)07.08.09 - Chairman Rockefeller, Ranking Member Hutchison and members of the Committee, it is an honor to come before you today as the President's nominee for Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
› View PDF (76 Kb PDF)