Your June 7 article regarding the Superconducting Super Collider accurately reported that the $250 million of general obligation bonds from the state of Texas will not be affected by ongoing congressional funding discussions. These bonds are backed by the Texas Legislature with the fur support of both houses, and the state continues to enjoy an AA bond rating.
Development of the Super Collider is progressing at a rapid rate. Tunneling for the 54-mile underground ring that will house this immense research facility Is well underway with completion of the first 10 miles. The first superconducting magnets that will be used to focus and steer subatomic protons for collision experiments have passed all tests. And several support facilities now house a growing staff of more than 2,100 laboratory employees, including some of the world's foremost physicists.
When operational at the turn of the century, the Super Collider will be the world's premier instrument for basic scientific research, working to unlock nature's innermost secrets and improve our quality of life. Even now, Super Collider researchers and industrial partners are joining together to advance related technologies in medical diagnostics, proton therapy for cancer treatment, and ultra-fast computing systems.
By any, estimate, the Super Collider is an investment, not only in American scientific leadership, but in the creation of new products, services, and careers that will benefit our children and grandchildren in the century ahead.
