Proclamation 4512—United States Space Observance

Our human race has always felt an urge to explore and understand the world around us. This drive lay behind the theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus, the discoveries of Aristotle and Newton, the journeys of Columbus and Magellan.

In our time, this spirit has led to the exploration of space. From single missions, designed to send satellites into orbit and land men on the Moon, the United States space program has grown into a much broader range of endeavors. Its purpose is not simply to study space, but to understand its relevance to life on earth. Satellites now orbiting the earth have helped us to forecast weather patterns accurately, discover mineral deposits, detect sources of pollution and establish a global communications network. International projects such as Apollo-Soyuz have helped bring the people of the world closer together through coordinated research and 'the cooperative use of land and sea resources.

To encourage the American people to reflect upon the purposes, goals and achievements of America's space program, the Senate (July 11, 1975) and the House of Representatives (September 30, 1976) have requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the period of July 16 through July 24 as "United States Space Observance" and calling for its appropriate observance (S. Con. Res. 47).

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the period of July 16 through July 24, 1977, as United States Space Observance.

I urge the communications media, educators, the aerospace industry, scientific and public-service organizations and the American people to join with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during this period in commemorating the achievements of the United States space program which demonstrate that advanced technology devoted to peaceful purposes can lead the way to a better life for people of all nations.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and second.

JIMMY CARTER