Wednesday, July 27 2005 09:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: United States (US) President, George W Bush, has congratulated National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the successful launch of the space shuttle Discovery, saying the flight is an essential step towards America's goal of continuing to lead the world in space science.

"On behalf of all Americans, I wish the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery a safe and successful mission. Today's (July 26, 2005) launch marks NASA's return to flight, following the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew in February 2003," he said in a statement.

He thanked the men and women of NASA who dedicated themselves to putting the space programme back on track.

"Our space programme is a source of great national pride, and this flight is an essential step toward our goal of continuing to lead the world in space science, human space flight, and space exploration," he added.

On whether Bush still believed in eventually sending a crew to Mars, spokesman Scott McClellan said that was the long-term mission and today's (July 26, 2005) launch is an important first step to put us back on track.

Bush used a January 2004 speech to unveil ambitious plans to build a base on the Moon as a jumping-off point for Mars but has barely mentioned that initiative since.