IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1243 
Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 30, 2020 
Mr. WEBER
of Texas (for himself, Mr. POSEY, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. 
PERLMUTTER, Mr. BEYER, and Ms. WEXTON) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the International Space 
Station. 
Whereas, since November 2000, the International Space Sta-
tion (ISS) has been continuously occupied by more than 
240 astronauts from the United States and other coun-
tries, during that time, have conducted over 3,000 experi-
ments in microgravity environment, focusing on human 
health, exploration, space studies, engineering develop-
ment, and materials testing; 
Whereas the activities conducted on the ISS continue to help 
develop the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion’s (NASA) capabilities for long-duration, deep-space 
missions to the Moon and Mars, and are assisting busi-
nesses, other government agencies, and university re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:14 Dec 01, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH
HR1243
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1243 IH 
searchers to develop knowledge and products that have 
and will result in benefits to humanity for years to come; 
Whereas with its many ongoing research projects and its edu-
cational outreach touching the lives of people around the 
world, the ISS is the world’s preeminent spaceflight pro-
gram today, helping to improve life on Earth even as it 
inspires our species to reach for the stars; 
Whereas as a joint project of the NASA, the Russian Federal 
Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Canadian 
Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration 
Agency, the ISS is the result of a remarkable collabora-
tion between 15 countries, sharing the most advanced 
technologies in the world for the peaceful and the produc-
tive use of space; 
Whereas NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, 
is the American headquarters for the ISS, one of the 
most impressive scientific and engineering achievements 
in history; 
Whereas NASA’s industry contractors and suppliers who 
helped design, build, integrate, and now operate the sta-
tion have provided a critical service to the United States 
and NASA, as well as international partner agencies and 
the astronaut crews that have lived and served aboard 
the ISS for over 20 years; 
Whereas as the largest structure that humans have ever put 
into space, the ISS is made up of pressurized modules 
held together by external trusses and powered by a vast 
array of solar panels; 
Whereas the ISS is the length of a football field, and the 
solar array has the wingspan of a Boeing 777; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:14 Dec 01, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH
HR1243
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1243 IH 
Whereas orbiting the globe every 92 minutes at an altitude 
of roughly 250 miles, the ISS is large enough to be seen 
from the surface of the Earth by the naked eye; 
Whereas the ISS has been significantly upgraded to allow for 
an extension of its mission to enable cutting edge re-
search; 
Whereas the ISS is the key enabler of commercial opportuni-
ties in low-Earth orbit; 
Whereas the ISS platform is essential to furthering human 
exploration by providing critical research and system test-
ing for upcoming crewed exploration missions to the 
Moon and Mars; and 
Whereas the ISS is critical to maintaining United States 
leadership in low-Earth orbit: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the 20th anniversary of the 
International Space Station (ISS); 
(2) commends the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration (NASA) for its achievements 
as part of the ISS program and the Americans who 
have given to it so much of their skill, effort, and 
passion; 
(3) recognizes the many men and women sup-
porting ISS operations on the ground that enable 
the continued safe utilization of the ISS; 
(4) recognizes the more than 240 United States 
and international astronauts that have lived and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:14 Dec 01, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH
HR1243
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1243 IH 
worked aboard the ISS to help build, integrate, oper-
ate, and maintain the ISS; 
(5) recognizes the importance of the ISS for 
scientific discovery, human exploration, and inter-
national cooperation; and 
(6) recognizes the importance of maintaining 
operation of the ISS as a national capability that 
serves a critical service to a range of government 
and commercial users. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:14 Dec 01, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR1243.IH
HR1243
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS