[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 171 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NASA ARMSTRONG FLIGHT 
                            RESEARCH CENTER

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                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 30, 2021

  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 75th 
anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 
Armstrong Flight Research Center. Located on Edwards Air Force Base, 
NASA Armstrong is well-positioned in the western Mojave Desert of 
California for its innovative research and testing that keeps our 
Nation on the cutting edge of aeronautical advances.
  Formerly known as the Dryden Flight Research Center in honor of Hugh 
Dryden, a former Director of Aeronautical Research for the National 
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the Center was founded in 
1946. With faith, ingenuity, and grit, 13 engineers and technicians 
from NACA's Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory came to Edwards 
Air Force Base, then known as Muroc Army Air Base, to prepare for the 
X-1 rocket plane's first supersonic flight in the Mojave Desert. 
Retired U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager completed this important 
supersonic mission, breaking the sound barrier on October 14, 1947 by 
flying the X-1 over Southern California.
  In 2014, the Center was renamed the NASA Armstrong Flight Research 
Center to honor Neil Armstrong, a former aeronautical research 
scientist at Dryden and astronaut who became the first person to step 
foot on the moon. Since its inception, NASA Armstrong has been involved 
in historical space and aeronautical milestones, including supersonic 
and hypersonic flight and the development of our space shuttles. NASA 
Armstrong also developed the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and 
served as the testing site for Apollo's famous X-15 rocket plane. The 
importance of the LLRV was recognized by Neil Armstrong, who said that 
the technology played a critical role in the success of the Apollo 11 
mission.
  Today, NASA Armstrong is known as the premier research center for 
testing high-risk atmospheric projects in the United States. Its 
Research Aircraft Integration Facility can check the systems, 
electronics, and controls of aircraft simultaneously--the only facility 
controlled by NASA that can achieve such a feat. In addition to its 
research, NASA Armstrong is a leader in safety. In 2020, NASA Armstrong 
won the Federal Aviation Safety Award among Premier Federal Aviation 
Programs.
  From the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) 
program to partnerships to advance commercial space, NASA Armstrong is 
helping America learn more about the vast unknown beyond Earth. As a 
faithful pioneer in aeronautics, NASA Armstrong is focused on advancing 
technology with projects like the X-59 which would demonstrate that 
supersonic flight over land is feasible by reducing the noise of the 
sonic boom. NASA Armstrong also supports progressing space technology 
with its management of the Flight Opportunities program to partner with 
industry to improve technologies for space exploration.
  On behalf of the 23rd District of California, it is my honor to 
celebrate NASA Armstrong's historic 75th anniversary. I wish NASA 
Armstrong and its devoted team of nearly 1,100 civil servants and 
contractors continued success in maintaining America's edge in space 
and aeronautic research.

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