NEWS RELEASE:
NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY SAYS SPACE DECLARATION ANOTHER REASON FOR CLINTON TO GIVE SPACE ITS DUE

CONTACT: Karen Rugg, 202-543-1900

(Washington, DC) -- April 16 -- Ms. Pat Dasch, executive director for the National Space Society, made the following statement regarding this morning's release of the Mission HOME document, "Declaration of Space Leadership":

"The Declaration is significant not only because it represents a consensus among space industry and space advocacy, but because it does what our current Administration does not. It embraces an aggressive commitment to the continued exploration and development of space as a national priority.

"Using the Declaration as the newest tool in our arsenal, the NSS will continue to urge the Administration to commit to a plan for the human exploration of space beyond low Earth orbit. The lack of interest the Administration has displayed in being involved with long-term, substantive space issues is not acceptable. It is time for President Clinton to acknowledge what our nation can gain from space development in these times of tight budgets and difficult policy decisions.

"We at the National Space Society fully intend to honor the Declaration by enabling and facilitating legislative change to make the achievement of its priorities a reality."