| BUSH: 'THE DREAM GOES ON' America's space exploration programme will continue despite the space shuttle tragedy, President Bush said. The president said America "owed" it to the astronauts to continue the "marvel" of space travel. "The president is dedicated to the mission of science and the marvel of space exploration," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. |
| The President |
| "He is determined that it will go on ... we must, we owe it to the astronauts, we owe it to their families and we owe it to those who stand in line next to take risks on behalf of science and on behalf of exploration." Centre visit President Bush led Americans in mourning the crew. The president and first lady Laura Bush travelled to the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, for a Nasa tribute to the crew. But the White House stressed the tragedy would not deflect from his aim to disarm Saddam Hussein. "He expresses grief like every American for what's happened. He will speak to that on Tuesday," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. Briefing "But this does not have any effect or change on any of the president's responsibilities to keep the peace and protect the American people from dangers around the world." Bush met Nasa administrator Sean O'Keefe on Monday morning in the Oval Office for an update on the various investigations and to review the role of the new Homeland Security Department in co-ordinating retrieval of debris. O'Keefe then went to Capitol Hill to brief 16 Republican and Democratic members of Congress who sit on committees overseeing NASA. |
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