Richard Nixon photo

Message to the Skylab 2 Crew Following Splashdown.

September 25, 1973

AT THE completion of mankind's longest journey beyond the boundaries of human knowledge, I congratulate you on behalf of all the American people.

The record of your Skylab mission combines the traditions of those great explorers of history who have faced the uncharted reaches of the physical unknown, with the traditions of those men of science who have unlocked the secrets of the universe and have thus opened the doors to man's future progress.

'By your scientific endeavor and your physical endurance, you have converted a space vehicle into a repository of more scientific knowledge than mankind can immediately consume. In doing so, you have provided the basis for a quantum jump in human knowledge.

As we salute you in your moment of personal triumph and of our national pride, we are mindful of the men and women whose contributions made your own accomplishments possible--your colleagues in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in the armed services and the civilian scientific community, and the men and women of America's vast technological and industrial establishment. Your accomplishments reflect the power and potential of the American democracy at its best: out of the efforts of many, individual accomplishment is made possible, and from the deeds of the individual, all benefit.

We welcome you back to Earth and back home to the United States of America.

Note: The message was relayed to astronauts Capt. Alan L. Bean, USN, Dr. Owen K. Garriott, and Maj. Jack R. Lousma, USMC, on board the recovery ship U.S.S. New Orleans.

Richard Nixon, Message to the Skylab 2 Crew Following Splashdown. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/255296

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