Well, I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the entire crew. You're doing a fantastic job, and we're proud of you. Your energy, creativity, and your courage are an inspiration to us all. Shortly after that, NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was created to make sure mankind got every benefit possible from the exploration of space. Our investment in space has been an exceptional bargain.
Byproducts now touch our lives in so many ways.
This hookup, as well as the calls every day of millions of people around the world, are made via communications satellites. Weather and navigation satellites guide us and help us protect our lives and property. The high-tech spinoffs of our space effort are too numerous to list. The experiments on this shuttle mission will add to the treasury of human knowledge and be put to practical use improving our lives right here on Earth. This mission is also a shining example of international cooperation at its best.