[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S5833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING OHIO'S GLENN RESEARCH CENTER

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the men and 
women of NASA Glenn Research Center in my home State of Ohio for their 
achievements in the design, build, and test of the new space 
environmental test capability for the Space Power Facility at Plum 
Brook Station. These new capabilities will advance the human 
exploration of space, ensure the safety of our astronauts, drive 
scientific advances and technology development, and enrich the lives of 
all people and inspire our next generation of explorers throughout the 
United States and the world.
  Seventy years ago, during World War II, the United States sought 
sites for ordnance facilities to help defeat totalitarianism. In quiet 
Erie County, OH, between major highways and acres of farmland, the Army 
Corps of Engineers created Plum Brook, a facility that would first be 
home to a munitions factory, and for the last 50 years, Plum Brook 
Station has continued to serve our Nation as a one-of-a kind facility 
that has ensured the success of our Nation's space program.
  Throughout its history, Plum Brook remained vital to our Nation's 
security and our Nation's exploration of space. The National Advisory 
Council for Aeronautics, NACA, the predecessor to the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, built a facility to test 
the nuclear power sources for airplanes and spacecraft that would be 
designed at Lewis Field--later to be NASA Glenn Research Center--in 
Cleveland, OH.
  When President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would 
push the boundaries of science and innovation to explore the heavens, 
Plum Brook Station became a world-class test site for the new 
spacecraft. A thermal vacuum chamber, called the Space Power Facility, 
was built to simulate the harsh space environment. At 100 feet wide and 
122 feet high, it remains the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the 
world.
  In 2007, as NASA began to develop a new path for human space 
exploration, the men and women of NASA Glenn at Lewis Field and Plum 
Brook Station rose to the challenge to develop a test capability that 
would push the boundaries of spacecraft testing. The new spacecraft 
will continue the United States' legacy of carrying American pioneers 
beyond Earth's orbit, but will experience launch and space environments 
that never before have been experienced. The Space Environmental Test 
Facility will allow NASA to test its new spacecraft to these new 
extremes--ensuring the safety of our Nation's astronauts and the 
success of our space exploration mission.
  To keep our crews safe, the test capabilities of Plum Brook Station 
were expanded beyond that of the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the 
world. These include: a state-of-the-art sine-vibration table that has 
the largest capacity for payload size and weight in the world, the 
largest electromagnetic reverberant chamber in the world, and the most 
powerful acoustic facility in the world capable of simulating launch 
environments for developmental spacecraft. This facility is now the 
crown jewel of NASA's test capabilities.
  I have had the privilege to meet many of the scientists, engineers, 
and technicians who made this achievement possible. They are dedicated 
and compassionate, and guided by the scientific patriotism that 
displays a Nation's pursuit in understanding the world in which we all 
live.
  These pioneers of NASA Glenn will continue to push the boundaries of 
spaceflight--fueling technology advancements and inspiring our children 
to follow in the footsteps of great Ohioans like Neil Armstrong and 
John Glenn. The scientists and engineers of NASA Glenn will ensure the 
success of the next generation of pioneers.
  Our Nation is defined by the spirit of discovery, the pioneers who 
pushed westward on land, navigated the oceans, and are now sending 
humankind into what was once a mere vision seen only through Galileo's 
eye. We are a nation of pioneers. And we all have a responsibility to 
safeguard that defining American spirit and to inspire a new generation 
of American explorers.

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