[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 148 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING 70 YEARS OF FLIGHT RESEARCH AT NASA ARMSTRONG

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                          HON. STEPHEN KNIGHT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2016

  Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the 70th 
anniversary of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, which was founded 
on September 30, 1946.
  In 1946 a group of officials from NASA's predecessor organization, 
the NACA, set up an operations base for our nation's effort in the race 
to achieve supersonic manned flight. A year later, on October 14, 1947, 
Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to break the 
sound barrier in the experimental Bell X-1 aircraft. This achievement, 
one of many incredible ``firsts'' in our history, inaugurated a 
national legacy of excellence in aerospace that defines American power 
today.
  More X-planes followed the X-1, each building on our understanding of 
flight and projecting U.S. power further into air and space. Twenty 
years after Yeager, my father, Pete Knight, flew the X-15 at Mach 6.7. 
Even today that flight holds the world record for aircraft speed. What 
we learned from the X-programs was critical to our journey to the moon 
and paved the way for the Space Shuttle.
  Today NASA Armstrong continues to play an important role in the 
advancement of American aeronautics. It is pursuing a new generation of 
X-planes that will validate technology for faster, cleaner, quieter, 
and safer air travel over the next ten years. These bold programs are 
not only an exciting next step for our nation's legacy in aviation 
pioneering, but a necessary one, to renew our technological and 
competitive edge in aviation for the 21st Century.
  I congratulate the men and women of NASA Armstrong on their 
outstanding achievements over the past 70 years. Their unfailing 
pursuit of useful knowledge in atmospheric flight and airborne science 
is essential to the American scientific enterprise, as well as our 
engagement with international science community, the competitiveness of 
our private sector air and space companies, and our military's edge 
over potential adversaries. On behalf of the 25th Congressional 
District of California, I would again like to thank the NASA Armstrong 
team for all they do for our country.

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