[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 26 (Monday, February 25, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H602-H605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NEIL A. ARMSTRONG FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER AND HUGH L. DRYDEN
AERONAUTICAL TEST RANGE DESIGNATION ACT
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 667) to redesignate the Dryden Flight Research Center as
the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western
Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 667
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION OF DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER.
(a) Redesignation.--The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center
in Edwards, California, is redesignated as the ``NASA Neil A.
Armstrong Flight Research Center''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
flight research center referred to in subsection (a) shall be
deemed to be a reference to the ``NASA Neil A. Armstrong
Flight Research Center''.
SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION OF WESTERN AERONAUTICAL TEST RANGE.
(a) Redesignation.--The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Western Aeronautical Test Range in
California is redesignated as the ``NASA Hugh L. Dryden
Aeronautical Test Range''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
test range referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to
be a reference to the ``NASA Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test
Range''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 667, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
[[Page H603]]
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may
consume to the gentleman from California, Kevin McCarthy, the majority
whip and, I might add, the originator and author of this bill.
Mr. McCARTHY of California. I would like to thank the chairman for
his work.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 667, to honor two great
pioneers in American aeronautics and space exploration, Dr. Hugh Dryden
and Astronaut Neil Armstrong.
Neil Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot, engineer, test pilot,
astronaut, and educator who was always proud to serve this Nation.
Before joining the Astronaut Corps in 1962 and eventually taking the
first small step for a man, Armstrong served as a test pilot for 7
years at what is presently called the NASA Dryden Flight Research
Center in Kern County, California, which I am proud to represent.
Armstrong flew thousands of hours as a test pilot there, mainly in
experimental jets and high-speed rocket planes. He was also part of the
team in the early 1960s who developed the Lunar Landing Research
Vehicle used to train our astronauts on how to safely land on the Moon.
After the success of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong remained an
active contributor to the aeronautical research programs at the Flight
Research Center. Most notably of these was the digital fly-by-wire
program, which is recognized today as a far-reaching technological
breakthrough. He returned to visit the center in the years that
followed and, throughout his life, remained a strong advocate of flight
research.
H.R. 667 would rename the NASA Center in his honor, the Neil A.
Armstrong Flight Research Center.
H.R. 667 would also honor Dr. Hugh Dryden's contributions to
aerospace engineering that made many of Neil Armstrong's career
achievements possible.
Dryden was a key figure in the development of America's aerospace
programs from the early part of the 20th century to the much more
complex programs that are still ongoing at NASA Flight Research Center,
Edwards Air Force Base, and China Lake Naval Air Station in my
district.
He was an early pioneer in aerodynamics over the first half of the
20th century and enabled many scientific breakthroughs. When NASA was
created in 1958, Dr. Dryden was chosen to be its first deputy
administrator, focusing his energies on the programs that allowed our
country to explore space and send our astronauts to the Moon.
H.R. 667 will memorialize both men by redesignating the Dryden Flight
Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and
naming the center's test range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test
Range.
{time} 1710
Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and
NASA Flight Research Center in eastern Kern County remain a hub of
scientific discovery, aeronautic innovation and space exploration. I
look forward to many more groundbreaking achievements from the men and
women inspired by the legacy of Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 667 is a fitting tribute to Armstrong and Dryden,
and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to
celebrate the remarkable lives of both men.
Ms EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 667 has been offered to redesignate the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dryden Flight Research Center as
the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center. The bill would also
rename the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden
Aeronautical Test Range.
While I plan to support this bill, it is a bit unfortunate since it
honors one aerospace pioneer by stripping away the honor previously
extended to another worthy pioneer, Hugh L. Dryden.
Dr. Hugh Latimer Dryden was director of the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics, NACA, from 1947 until the creation of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration where he was named deputy
administrator.
President Johnson said of his passing that it was:
A reason for national sorrow. No soldier ever performed his
duty with more bravery, and no statesman ever charted new
courses with more dedication than Hugh Dryden.
Whenever the first American spaceman sets foot on the Moon
or finds a new trail to a new star, he will know that Hugh
Dryden was one of those who give him knowledge and
illumination.
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was
named in his honor on March 26, 1976. The center is NASA's premier site
for aeronautical flight research. At the dedication ceremony, then-NASA
Administrator, James Fletcher, stated:
It is most fitting that this Flight Research Center, with
its unique and highly specialized capability for solving
aerospace problems, should memorialize the genius of Hugh
Dryden.
Neil Armstrong joined NACA in 1955 following his service as a naval
aviator. Over the next 17 years, he was an engineer, test pilot,
astronaut and administrator for NACA and its successor agency, NASA.
As a research pilot, he flew over 200 different models of aircraft,
such as the storied X-15. He transferred to astronaut status in 1962
and was command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission on which he performed
the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. As spacecraft
commander for Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong successfully led the first
manned lunar landing. His service and his famous words, ``that's one
small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,'' inspired millions
around the world, including this Congresswoman sitting in front of a
black and white television.
Mr. Speaker, it's clear that Mr. Armstrong never sought the honor of
having a NASA center named after him while alive. In truth, his name
will live on throughout history whether or not we ever name anything
for him. I doubt, in this era of declining funding for NASA, that
either Neil Armstrong or Hugh Dryden would want a single precious
dollar to be spent on a cosmetic facility name change when that money
could be spent instead on fulfilling NASA's mission to reach for the
stars. And, in fact, when Neil Armstrong appeared before our Science
Committee, he almost said exactly that.
While I expect that we will approve this legislation today, I hope
that all the Members who vote to honor Neil Armstrong today will
remember his testimony before the House Science, Space and Technology
Committee during which he said:
The key to the success of American investment in space
exploration is a clearly articulated plan and strategy
supported by the administration and the Congress and
implemented with all the consistency that the vagaries of the
budget will allow. Such a program will motivate the young
toward excellence, support a vital industry and earn the
respect of the world.
I hope we can honor his words. But his words were foreshadowed by
Hugh Dryden in a letter he wrote to Senator Robert Kerr, chairman of
the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences in 1961:
The development of space science and technologies
strengthen our whole industrial base and serves as insurance
against technological obsolescence. Education will profit.
The discipline of cooperation in a great national effort may
well be the instrument of great social gain.
If the same Members who vote to rename these two NASA facilities
today will commit to working in the coming months and years for those
exploration goals to which both men devoted their lives, then we will
have truly honored both of their legacies in an enduring and a
meaningful way.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California, Majority
Whip Kevin McCarthy, for honoring Neil Armstrong and NASA Deputy
Administrator Hugh Dryden with this bill. Not many people know the
relationship between these two men. Hugh Dryden was the visionary
behind NASA's X-15 rocket plane and the Apollo program. Neil Armstrong
was the one who flew the spacecraft that Dryden envisioned.
The X-15 rocket plane set many speed and altitude records in the
early 1960s. Hugh Dryden was the engineer
[[Page H604]]
and program manager for that spacecraft which Neil Armstrong flew seven
times.
While everyone knows that Neil Armstrong was the first man to set
foot on the Moon, not many people know Hugh Dryden's role. The Soviets
had launched the first satellite Sputnik in 1957, and cosmonaut Yuri
Gargarin became the first man in space in April 1961.
President John F. Kennedy wanted to demonstrate American ingenuity
and technical superiority over the Soviet Union, so he convened the
National Space Council. President Kennedy asked for their advice on the
best way for America to respond to the Soviet's string of firsts in
space exploration. In that meeting, Hugh Dryden recommended to the
President that the goal of putting a man on the Moon within 10 years
was achievable and something the American people could rally behind.
The rest is history. President Kennedy grabbed Hugh Dryden's idea and
addressed a joint session of Congress the very next month. The Apollo
program was the brainchild of Hugh Dryden. Neal Armstrong turned that
dream into reality by making that ``one small step for a man, one giant
leap for mankind'' on another world almost 240,000 miles away. Hugh
Dryden was not able to see his dream become reality, as he died in
1965. And, unfortunately, Neil Armstrong passed away last August.
It is important for us to honor both men's legacies by naming the
Flight Research Center after Neil Armstrong and the surrounding Test
Range after Hugh Dryden. With this bill, we reaffirm that America is
filled with dreamers like Hugh Dryden, and doers like Neil Armstrong,
who--working together--can ``shoot for the Moon.'' Thanks to Mr.
McCarthy, we honor their legacy, and that reminds us that America
always needs to think about new frontiers.
I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Hall), former chairman of this committee.
Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. McCarthy for reintroducing
this bill to redesignate NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, which is
co-located with Edwards Air Force Base in California, as the Neil A.
Armstrong Flight Research Center. This bill, H.R. 667, would also
rename the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden
Aeronautical Test Range.
Neil Armstrong, everybody will say--and it's so true, he needs
absolutely no introduction--people know who Neil Armstrong is. He
covered the country. He has given of his time. He's an American hero,
and he is one who never took personal credit for his accomplishments.
Anytime he was speaking about the success of the Apollo 11 mission, he
always gave recognition to the teams of engineers, technicians, and
scientists at NASA and the industry. He was quiet, thoughtful, and
deliberate, choosing his words carefully, whether testifying before a
congressional committee, giving a speech, or sharing a moment with a
friend.
{time} 1720
Last May of this year, I was honored to have Neil, along with General
Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan, visit Rockwall, Texas, my hometown in
Texas, and address graduating high school seniors from the area's
public schools and private schools. Neil spoke to a packed auditorium
of seniors and their families and then generously took time for photos
with all the graduating classes. This was such a magnanimous gesture on
his side and yet typical of his commitment to inspiring other
generations of students to pursue fields in science, space, and
technology. These Rockwall County students and their families will
remember his visit forever, and this was made even more meaningful when
Neil passed away just a few months later and when I received a letter
from him 3 days after he died.
Naming the Dryden Flight Center after Neil is very appropriate. After
graduating from college, he joined NASA's predecessor agency, the
National Advisory Council on Aeronautics, and soon found himself at
NASA's High-Speed Flight Station located at Edwards, which would in
time become the Dryden Flight Research Center. They were both great
friends. He spent 7 years there flying a variety of new-design and
high-performance aircraft, including the seven flights at the control
of the X-15.
Naming the Western Aeronautical Test Range after Dr. Hugh L. Dryden
is also appropriate. Dr. Dryden, as a close friend of Neil's, held the
position of Director of the National Advisory Council of Aeronautics
from 1947 until it was renamed NASA in 1958, then served as Deputy
Director of NASA until his death in 1965. He pioneered research of
airfoils near the speed of sound and the problems of airflow and
turbulence. He greatly contributed to the designs of wings for
aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang and other World War II aircraft.
H.R. 667 honors the life and legacy of two great Americans: Neil
Armstrong and Dr. Hugh Dryden.
With that, I urge Members to support this bill.
Ms. EDWARDS. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Calvert), who has long been an able spokesman on the
issues related to space.
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I proudly stand with my good friend and
fellow Californian, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, in strong support of
this legislation we have both championed, H.R. 667, which will
redesignate NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A.
Armstrong Flight Research Center and Western Aeronautical Test Range as
the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
One of the great benefits of public service here in the United States
House of Representatives is the people you meet in all walks of life. I
had the high honor and privilege of meeting Mr. Armstrong on several
occasions before he passed away on August 25, 2012, especially when I
was chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee on Science.
Given his place as a revered global icon, Neil never sought the
limelight, as Mr. Hall has said. He never lost his unassuming manner,
his nature as a midwesterner, and values that his Ohio roots instilled
in him. He was just a wonderful person.
Those of us who were old enough to witness firsthand when he took his
first step on the surface of the Moon will never forget the great sense
of pride in our country and inspiration in the ability he placed in
mankind. There are few events in history that have had such profound
and positive impact, transcending generations across the globe. H.R.
667 is just one way we can pay tribute to this great American hero.
This bill will accomplish three important goals: one, to honor Neil
A. Armstrong, who served as an experimental research test pilot at the
center from 1955 to 1962; to emphasize the contributions of that center
to NASA's current space exploration mission; and to memorialize the
extraordinary career of Dr. Hugh L. Dryden by naming the aeronautical
test range, approximately 12,000 square miles of special-use airspace,
in his honor.
As was said: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind. This is a small step to recognize both Neil Armstrong and Hugh
Dryden.
I urge my House colleagues to support passage of H.R. 667.
Ms. EDWARDS. I'd inquire if the gentleman has additional speakers?
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have one additional
speaker.
Ms. EDWARDS. I'll continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I will recognize the gentleman from
California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for as much time as he may consume, and I
also note that he is the vice chairman of the Science, Space, and
Technology Committee.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 667 as a way
for us to honor the memories of Neil Armstrong and Dr. Hugh Dryden.
These two men, these two 20th century frontiersmen, technologists,
and, yes, visionaries, these two men who led us and, thus, led our
country into a new era of human history, the era of aerospace when the
technology of mankind uplifted mankind into the air and then into the
heavens, this is an era that we are just now seeing the very
[[Page H605]]
first steps, and these were the men who pushed the frontier and made
those first steps.
Neil Armstrong's name will be one of the few iconic names from our
era that are found in history books 1,000 years from now. Most people
know him as a brave astronaut who commanded Apollo 11; but before those
days, Neil Armstrong was an outstanding aeronautical engineer and a
great pilot for the U.S. Navy and for the National Advisory Committee
on Aeronautics, the NACA, a precursor to NASA. Neil flew over 900
missions at the NACA High-Speed Air Station, and that very center is
what we seek to name in his honor today.
At the same time, we wish to continue to recognize the major and
significant contributions of Dr. Hugh Dryden, one of the world's
greatest aeronautical scientists who provided critical leadership to
the NACA and is reported to be the man who gave President Kennedy the
idea that a Moon landing was the right benchmark for America to set as
we worked to catch up with the Soviet Union in space.
Today we honor these great men, and by supporting this legislation,
we will continue to support them in every way and continue to support
NASA in its test-flight mission.
Let us not forget so many people just associate NASA with space, and
Neil Armstrong is one of those people. But as I've just pointed out,
their work in developing new technology for aerospace and for jet
engines and the design of airplanes has had a tremendous impact on our
way of life and made America the great aerospace power in the world. So
as we honor them today, we reconfirm our commitment to being the number
one space power and the number one aerospace power on the planet.
Ms. EDWARDS. I'd inquire if the gentleman is prepared to close as
well.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to close. We have no
other speakers, and I'm prepared to yield back the balance of my time
after the gentlewoman from Maryland.
Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased today that we've been able to bring forward H.R. 667.
Former Chairman Hall was here today, and we had an opportunity to do
this in the last Congress. So hopefully, in honor of these two
gentlemen, real tremendous patriots and heroes and pioneers, we will be
able to bring forward H.R. 667 and rename the Dryden Center after Neil
Armstrong. I'm grateful to be here to do that with our colleagues.
It is sad, however, that here we are on a Monday, prepared to honor
these two great patriots of NASA, of this Nation, and at the same time,
by the close of the week, on March 1, enable a sequester to take effect
which could result in the loss of $894 million from NASA's budget, a
budget that would include science, technology, engineering,
investigation of climate change, and all of the things that we need to
prepare this next generation to be as inspired as our generation was
with the exploits and exploration of Hugh Dryden and Neil Armstrong.
Yet here we are.
{time} 1730
So I am pleased to go forward in supporting this legislation today,
making sure that on a Monday we are able to take a vote to rename these
two centers and to honor these two pioneers. But I am sad that here in
this Congress we are also prepared to cut millions of dollars in a
budget that should be spent on the kind of science and exploration that
both of these gentlemen pioneered.
When we think of what needs to be done for the next generation in
order to inspire future scientists and those who will work in
technology--our engineers, our math students--we regret that they won't
see that same kind of inspiration because of the irresponsibility of
this Congress. I want to say how pleased I am as I look forward to
working with Chairman Smith, because I know of his commitment to
science and to technology, and I know of his commitment to NASA and to
moving forward an agency that's going to propel us in 21st century
space science and in aeronautics, but this is not the way to do it.
While we do our renaming today in honor of Hugh Dryden and in honor
of Neil Armstrong, we will take an ax hammer to NASA's budget on March
1, at the end of this week, taking out $894 million from an already
strapped budget. I dare say that future generations will not be
inspired by what this Congress will do, will not be inspired by what
the majority is doing by not allowing us and enabling us to sit down
and actually negotiate in a way that is going to result in our making
the kind of investment in the 21st century that our young people
deserve.
Again, I am pleased to be able to redesignate the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center as
the ``Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center'' and to rename the
Western Aeronautical Test Range as the ``Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical
Test Range''--renaming but slashing a budget.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield myself 1 minute.
Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from Maryland--who is also
the ranking member of the Space Subcommittee--for her comments,
particularly for her personal comments, and I certainly share her
concerns about the severe cuts that NASA and our space exploration
programs might take if the sequestration goes into effect, but I also
feel compelled to point out that there is a way to avoid that
sequestration.
The House of Representatives, under the Republican leadership, has
already passed two bills that would take the place of the
sequestration, and the Senate has yet to act. After all, the
sequestration was the President's idea to start with, so I hope we will
hear from the President and the Senate various suggestions as to how
the sequestration can be avoided, but the House has certainly done its
job to avoid those heavy-handed cuts.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 667.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________