FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			

CONTACT: 
Karen Rugg
NSS Director of Communications
202-543-1900, ext. 77
krugg@nss.org

NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY DELIVERS 3,000 PRO-COMMERCIAL SPACE ACT LETTERS TO
SENATE
Grassroots Deliveries Begin with Visit to Senator Bob Graham of Florida

(Washington, DC) -- March 11, 1998 -- Representatives from the National Space
Society (NSS) today delivered over 3,000 letters supporting passage of the
Commercial Space Act of 1997 to Senator Bob Graham (D-FL).  Senators Graham
and Connie Mack (R-FL) introduced a Senate version of H.R. 1702 at the end of
the last session, which is scheduled to go to mark-up tomorrow.  Following
their meeting with Senator Graham, the NSS hand-delivered packets of letters
to each Senator who serves on the Committee and who will consider the
legislation tomorrow.

"For more than a year, NSS activists have been following and supporting the
progress of the Commercial Space Act through letters, phone calls, e-mail,
briefings and congressional visits with members in the House and Senate," said
Pat Dasch, NSS executive director.  "This latest call on behalf of the Act
includes letters from all 50 states, illustrating the public's 'bipartisan'
support for the legislation.  At this stage, we can't imagine any reason or
concern worth stalling this bill."

Critical provisions of the Commercial Space Act include establishing a
regulatory framework to license commercial launch vehicles for re-entry; i.e.,
allow companies to land the vehicles they launch.  Other provisions include
directing NASA to study commercial possibilities for the International Space
Station, and requiring the federal government to procure commercial space
transportation services.

The National Space Society, founded in 1974, is an independent, nonprofit
space advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC.  Its 23,000
members and 90 chapters around the world actively promote a spacefaring
civilization.  Information on NSS and space exploration is available at
.

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