[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 154 (Thursday, October 31, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7731-S7732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 1636. A bill to redesignate certain facilities of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration; to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
to commemorate one of our nation's greatest heroes, Neil Armstrong, by 
re-designating the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force 
Base as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center.
  The legislation will also rename the Western Aeronautical Test Range 
at Edwards Air Force Base as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test 
Range, as a tribute to Dr. Dryden's enduring legacy.
  There are few men in history who have made such substantial 
contributions to our understanding of aeronautics and our solar system.
  Neil Armstrong took the most important steps in the history of 
mankind when he stepped off Apollo 11.
  Dr. Dryden shaped the principles and policies that led to the 
development of the nation's first high speed aircraft.
  Their work in the Antelope Valley, outside Los Angeles, helped create 
one of our nation's most productive high-skilled manufacturing hubs. 
Their legacy remains today, and it is fitting that their names are 
attached to these outstanding facilities.
  Dr. Hugh Dryden was one of our Nation's first and most prominent 
scholars in the fields of high speed aeronautics and aerodynamics.
  Dr. Dryden began his distinguished career at the Bureau of Standards 
and quickly rose to become the Associate Director by 1934.
  During World War II, Dr. Dryden dedicated his considerable talents to 
serving armed forces as a scientific advisor, working on aeronautical 
matters and guided missiles. For his work on these issues, Dr. Dryden 
received the Medal of Freedom from the Army in 1946 and Presidential 
Certificate of Merit in 1948--two of our nation's highest honors for 
civilian service.
  Following the war, Hugh Dryden became the Director of the National 
Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, NACA. Eventually, when the advisory 
committee was formalized in 1958 and became the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration, NASA, Dr. Dryden served as its first Deputy 
Director.
  Neil Armstrong is another man that inspired Americans to look to the 
skies. He may have been born in Ohio, but his life's work was done in 
California.
  In his early years he was stationed in San Diego as a Naval Aviator. 
Although he left the state to pursue an undergraduate degree, he 
returned shortly thereafter to become a test pilot at Edwards Air Force 
Base.
  As a NASA test pilot, Armstrong flew more than 200 different models 
of aircraft. His experience included work with jets, helicopters, 
rockets and gliders, and he became one of the best known pilots of the 
X-15 test plane.
  Even before he became an astronaut, Armstrong reached unbelievable 
heights and speeds. While working with the X-15 from November 1960 to 
July 1962, he reached a top altitude of 207,500 feet and a top speed of 
3,989 mph.
  Neil Armstrong logged an incredible 2,400 flight hours as a test 
pilot at Dryden Flight Research Center before setting his sights even 
higher.
  In 1962, Neil Armstrong became an Astronaut.
  His career as an Astronaut began with Gemini 8 in 1966. The mission 
began with a landmark success--Neil Armstrong and his partner David 
Scott successfully docked their Gemini capsule with the Agena satellite 
in orbit. It was the first time two spacecraft linked up in space.
  However, shortly after the docking, the spacecraft began to spin out 
of control. After the spacecraft separated, Gemini and its astronauts 
were rolling at a revolution per second. The violent revolutions 
threatened the vision and consciousness of Armstrong and Scott, and so 
Armstrong made the controversial decision to abort the mission. Gemini 
8 splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean safely, but only part of its 
mission had been accomplished.
  As a veteran astronaut, Armstrong was an obvious choice for the 
Apollo missions.
  His first assignment was Apollo 11; it was the fifth manned Apollo 
mission and the first manned landing on the lunar surface. Accompanying 
Armstrong on the mission were Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins--both 
accomplished astronauts in their own right.
  The Apollo 11 crew launched atop a Saturn V rocket from Cape 
Canaveral on July 16, 1969. It took more than four days for the crew to 
reach the lunar surface. Armstrong and Aldrin approached the lunar 
surface while Collins manned the command vehicle in orbit.
  The goal was to find a safe landing zone, which proved more difficult 
than expected. With only 25 seconds of fuel remaining, the ``Eagle'' 
landed on July 20, 1969, at the Sea of Tranquility.
  As he stepped off Apollo 11, Armstrong uttered his famous words, 
``That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.''
  Armstrong and Aldrin spent two and a half hours on the lunar surface. 
They took photographs, inspected the condition of the lander, and 
planted the American Flag to commemorate their incredible achievement.
  It was the first and last time Armstrong would visit the moon. 
Shortly after Apollo 11's safe return to Earth, Armstrong announced 
that he did not intend to fly in space again.
  But his time in public life was not quite finished. Armstrong toured 
the world as a celebrity on the ``Giant Leap'' tour. He visited the 
Soviet Union to meet with the Premier and joined Bob Hope on a USO tour 
in Vietnam.
  Upon his return, Armstrong completed his Master of Science in 
Aerospace Engineering at the University of Southern California.
  He worked briefly for the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA, 
and served as Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA.
  In 1971, he returned to Ohio to teach the next generation of 
engineers at the University of Cincinnati. By the end of his career, 
Armstrong had been decorated by 17 countries and received many notable 
honors, including: the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the Congressional 
Gold Medal; the Congressional Space Medal of Honor; the Explorers Club 
Medal; the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy; the NASA Distinguished 
Service Medal; the Harmon International Aviation Trophy; the Royal 
Geographic Society's Gold Medal; the Federation Aeronautique 
Internationale's Gold Space Medal; the American Astronautical Society 
Flight Achievement Award; the Robert J. Collier Trophy; the AIAA 
Astronautics Award; the Octave Chanute Award; and the John J. 
Montgomery Award.

[[Page S7732]]

  His long list of accolades demonstrates just how incredible and 
inspirational Armstrong was, not only for California and our nation, 
but around the world as well.
  Tragically, we lost Neil A. Armstrong on August 25 last year. But his 
legacy will live on and continue to inspire the next generation of 
engineers, scientists, and astronauts.
  In a fitting tribute, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said that: 
``As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included 
in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world 
beyond our own.''
  Neil Armstrong's work, career, and legacy have inspired many 
accomplishments and discoveries beyond his own personal achievements. 
It is only fitting that the Dryden Flight Research Center, which is 
located at the base where his career quite literally took off, be 
renamed in his honor.
  This is a simple bill that will help to appropriately pay tribute to 
two individuals who have helped shape and define the space and 
aeronautical industries. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to 
re-designate 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.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1636

       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''.
                                 ______