WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) introduced a resolution in the United States House of Representatives to name the first variant of the new Space Launch System (SLS) as the Cernan 1 rocket.
“While astronaut Gene Cernan is often referred to as the ‘last person to
walk on the moon,’ he was quick to tell people that he was simply the most recent person to do so. He firmly believed that we would return someday and that we had an obligation to do so.
Gene Cernan
“This is why today, I have put forth a resolution in Congress to name the first variant of the SLS rocket as the Cernan 1. Our new launch system, the most powerful since the Saturn V, should carry Cernan’s name.
“The first launch, scheduled for next year, will continue a mission that has been primarily on pause since Apollo 17. It is time for our nation to do great things in space again. And just like the days of the Apollo program, Alabama will be leading the way, both to the Moon and to Mars, and those efforts will have the memory and knowledge of the first astronauts as guiding stars.”
This resolution would name the first variant of the SLS as the Cernan 1 in the same vein as the rockets that first took us to the moon were named Saturn I, Saturn IB, Saturn V etc.
Media Release/Office of Congressman Robert B. Aderholt/Carson Clark
