Lawmaker: Space Shuttle Program Owes Success to 30 Astronauts Born & Raised in New York State

Bronx Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera unveils legislation to commemorate New York States Contributions to Space Shuttle Program, fund engineering programs at University at Binghamton and City University of New York

ALBANY, NEW YORK (7/18/2011) --- Stating that New York State has a rich history of contributing outstanding talent to the Space Shuttle Program, today, Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, member of the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Education, unveiled legislation that will commemorate the States contributions to space exploration and creates a dedicated and voluntary donation option on tax forms that will support the engineering programs at the University at Binghamton, State University of New York and City University of New York.

According to Rivera, The only two women to ever command a space shuttle both call Elmira and Rochester, New York their home. The current pilot of the Atlantis, the historic last space shuttle mission, is a native New Yorker who was born in Endicott, in our southern tier. New York has a long history of contributing outstanding talent to our nations work to explore space and this is very clear when we review the list of talented people that have helped make the Space Shuttle Program and International Space Station a reality and a success.

New York has contributed more astronauts to the Space Shuttle Program than any other state. Combined 30 astronauts, born and raised in New Yorker, have participated in 75 Space Shuttle missions that have yielded tremendous research activity, new discoveries and the completion of the International Space Station. New York State needs to honor and commemorate its contributions to this historic achievement for humanity, declared Rivera.

Riveras legislation, if enacted into law, would create a special fund called the Explore The Cosmos New York which would be funded through voluntary donations made through a check-off box that will be required to appear in New York State tax forms.

The funds collected for the Explore The Cosmos New York program will be held by the Office of the New York State Comptroller and made available yearly to the engineering programs at both Binghamton University, State University of New York, and City College of the City University of New York. These are the top engineering programs in our public education system and supporting their work of brilliant faculty and science students should be a priority for us, stated Rivera.

The second part of the proposed legislation will direct the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles to create a commemorative license plate that captures the participation of NYS industry and residents in the Space Shuttle Program. DMV will be required to design and to issue this commemorative plate by July 8, 2012, the one-year anniversary of the launch of last space shuttle mission. DMV will assign a fee for the purchase of such plate.

According to Rivera, The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, is giving up the prototype Enterprise Space Shuttle to New York City's Intrepid museum. Enterprise was used for test flights in the 1970s.