Ronald Reagan

“ Montgolfier's achievement was a concrete demonstration of the power of technological know-how when coupled with the yearnings of the human spirit. For the first time, man had freed not only his imagination but his physical self from the forces of gravity. With every advance, our imagination and knowledge have leaped forward-from Montgolfier to the Wright brothers, through the moon walks and the space shuttle. ”

“ We have flown 250 thousand miles to explore the surface of the moon, and, with this unprecedented triumph of spirit and technology, changed forever our view of the Earth. She is a delicate blue jewel in the darkness of space. ”

“ In the 200 years since that first flight, man's quest to understand the unknown has resulted in our ability to fly higher, faster, safer and farther. We race the sun as we move from continent to continent in a matter of hours. We have vastly multiplied commerce and communication among far-flung peoples. ”