WASHINGTON --- In a rare public mention of the Vision for Space Exploration he unveiled in his Jan. 16, 2004 speech at NASA Headquarters here, U.S. President George W. Bush likened space exploration to the Wright Brothers' "example of innovation."

 

The mention was included in a presidential proclamation naming Dec. 17, 2006 as Wright Brothers Day in honor of the pair of Ohio-born inventors who in 1903 completed the first piloted human flight in Kitty Hawk, N.C. ushering in the age of aviation.

 

"Today, our Nation follows the Wright brothers' example of innovation as we continue to explore the frontiers of air and space. My Administration has outlined a vision for space exploration that includes a return to the Moon and a long‑term human and robotic program to explore Mars and the solar system," Bush said in the written proclamation he signed Dec. 15. "By working to expand the realm of the possible, we can gain a better understanding of the universe and continue the journey that the Wright brothers began more than a century ago."