The first "A" in NASA stands for "aeronautics," and in Kansas, we're proud to be central to that special mission.

This week, I hosted NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, along with space leaders from across government and industry, at Wichita State University for a symposium on NASA's Next Giant Leap. During this event, we recognized the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and looked ahead to the future of space exploration and aeronautics. This was also an opportunity to showcase Wichita's and WSU's incredible capabilities to design, engineer and manufacture the next generation of space exploration.

I was pleased that representatives from SpaceX, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance, Spirit Aerosystems, Air Force, Wichita State University and WSU Tech could participate in this event and see firsthand the great work being done in our state.

"The moon is the proving ground, Mars is the destination, and of course, we want to put an American flag on Mars. Sir [Sen. Moran], with your leadership, our goal is to think of what 50 years from now looks like? What are the investments we make today? And of course, as chairman of the Appropriations Committee that funds NASA, to the extent we go to the moon, it goes through Kansas." - NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

Click here to watch a recap of the event.