Democrats -Committee on Science, Space and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives

Space shuttle Discovery departed NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the last time with an early-morning takeoff atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). Instead of blazing a trail toward low Earth orbit, the agency's most-flown shuttle is on its way to Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

The 50-year anniversary of astronaut John Glenn and his Earth orbit should remind America that it needs manned flight in space. Some say the space race is over. But America is in a new space race for jobs, skills, and knowledge for the future.

The crew of the first moon landing and John Glenn received the highest civilian award that Congress bestows at a ceremony on Capitol Hill.

STEM Education Vital in Tough Budget Times