Jenniffer Gonzalez Leads with NASA and the Women's Affairs Caucus of the Congress Event to Promote the Artemis Program

Statement

Resident commissioner Jenniffer González Colón led an informational session in Congress as co-chair of the Congressional Women's Affairs Caucus (CCWI) to promote and publicize the program of lunar exploration Artemis of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) whose purpose includes sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon.

Last March, NASA accepted the Administration's challenge of bringing the first woman and the next American man to the lunar South Pole for the first time by 2024.

"This will allow us to continue to be at the forefront of space research and will expand our knowledge of the Moon by landing humans on the lunar South Pole for the first time. I hope we understand better the great work that NASA is doing with the program and also the ways in which Congress can be useful, "said González Colón in his opening message at the event.

The event was attended by the NASA Administrator and former representative of the 1st District of Oklahoma, Jim Bridenstine, Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor, NASA exastronaut and Dr. Janet Kavandi, director of the John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and who was also selected NASA astronaut in 1994. Also present were Congressmen Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), co-chair of the Women's Affairs Caucus, Madeleine Dean (D-PA), co-chair of the organization and the spokesman for the minority of the Appropriations Committee of the Federal House of Representatives, Kay Granger (R-TX).

"Initiatives such as the Artemis Program offset the challenges faced by young women who aspire to undertake a career in the STEM fields by ensuring a role for women in advanced research," said the congresswoman, who continues to promote the sciences in Congress from Puerto Rico and the struggle for women's affairs.

In her efforts to promote the role of women in the field of science, González Colón presented with the president of the Science Committee, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, the "Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act, bipartite legislation that seeks to designate the "Large Synoptic Survey Telescope" (LSST), in Chile, as the "Vera Rubin Survey Telescope", in honor of the American astronomer Vera Rubin.

Also, the congresswoman is co-author of HR 2528, HR 36, and HR 3153, measures that seek to increase the participation of minorities and women in STEM careers, combat sexual harassment in the study and field of science, and require that the National Foundation of Science (NSF) continue its research work related to addiction to controlled substances.

Last June, the congresswoman created the "STEM Task Force" in Puerto Rico, composed of representatives of the academy and organizations of science, medicine, technology and environment, to work from the congress and from her position as a member of the Science Committee, the Space and Technology, in diversifying the economy of the Island using the potential and human resources in the field of sciences and technology and achieving project work worldwide in science and science in Puerto Rico, STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) which includes curriculum review, looking for ways to attract national investment to local science projects.

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