[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18439-18444]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      NEIL A. ARMSTRONG FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER AND HUGH L. DRYDEN 
                AERONAUTICAL TEST RANGE DESIGNATION ACT

  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6612) 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. 6612

       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. Hall) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.

                              {time}  1100


                             General Leave

  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
shall have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6612, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to begin by thanking, as I should, the Members for their 
bipartisan support of the legislation. H.R. 6612 would redesignate the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dryden Flight Research 
Center, which is co-located with the Edwards Air Force Base in the 
Antelope Valley of California, 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. This is very 
appropriate; they were very dear friends.
  Neil Armstrong needs no introduction. Actually, this bill was 
introduced by his congressman, Kevin McCarthy, the congressman where 
the redesignation will take place. The gentleman from California is the 
majority whip, but Neil Armstrong absolutely needs no introduction. 
He's an iconic American hero, and one of the most humble men I've ever 
met. He was quiet, thoughtful, and deliberate, choosing his words 
carefully, whether it was testifying before a congressional committee, 
giving a speech, or sharing a quiet movement with a friend. He did not 
exaggerate, and always, always gave recognition to the teams of 
engineers, technicians, and scientists at NASA and in industry when 
speaking about the success of the Apollo 11 mission. He refused to take 
personal credit for his accomplishments.
  Naming the flight center after Neil is very appropriate. After 
graduating from college, Neil joined NASA's predecessor agency, the 
National Advisory Council on Aeronautics, and soon found himself at 
NACA's High Speed Flight Station located at Edwards, which in time 
would become the Dryden Flight Research Center. He spent 7 years there 
flying a variety of new design and high-performance aircraft, including 
seven flights at the controls of the X-15.
  Neil was a good friend, and is sorely missed by me and by all of the 
people he touched during his long and active life. He is survived by 
his wife, Carol; his two sons, Mark and Rick; a stepson and a 
stepdaughter; 10 grandchildren; and a brother and sister.
  The bill also names the Western Aeronautical Test Range after Dr. 
Hugh L. Dryden. He held the position of director of the National 
Advisory Council on Aeronautics from 1947 until it was renamed NASA in 
1958, and was deputy director of NASA until his death in 1965.
  Dr. Dryden did pioneering research on airfoils near the speed of 
sound and the problems of airflow and turbulence. His work greatly 
contributed to the designs of wings for aircraft, including the P-51 
Mustang and other World War II aircraft.
  Before I close, I want to tell something that was rather interesting. 
President Clinton, I think it was on the 25th anniversary, invited Neil 
to speak, knowing that he probably wouldn't speak because he had 
indicated that he would not. But he left an empty chair for him on the 
stage. And as we got through the ceremony, Neil walked in. And the 
President, good natured, said, Well, I said you wouldn't speak, but 
here's the microphone.
  Neil took the microphone and said, The parrot is the only bird that 
can fly and speak, and I can do the same.
  Then he sat down, and it brought the house down.
  I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, all Americans can recite those famous words uttered by 
Neil Armstrong 43 years ago as he became the first human to walk on the 
Moon. Those words, as all Americans know were, ``That's one small step 
for man, one giant leap for mankind.''
  In an effort to recognize that great man, H.R. 6612 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 it, this is a bill that is a bit unfortunate 
since it honors one aerospace pioneer by stripping away the honor 
previously extended to another worthy pioneer. Both are worthy of 
recognition. Their accomplishments at NASA and for the Nation are 
without parallel.
  Dr. Hugh Latimer Dryden was director of the National Advisory 
Committee for Aeronautics from 1947 until the creation of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, and

[[Page 18440]]

was named deputy administrator of the new aerospace agency when it was 
created in response to the Sputnik crisis.
  Dr. Dryden made numerous technical contributions to research in high-
speed aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, and acoustics, and published more 
than 100 technical papers and articles in professional journals. NASA's 
Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was named in 
honor of him on March 26, 1976. The center is NASA's premier site for 
aeronautical flight research.
  Neil Armstrong joined NACA, the advisory committee, in 1955 following 
his service as a naval aviator. Over the next 17 years, he was an 
engineer, test pilot, astronaut, and administrator for the committee 
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 VIII mission when he performed the 
first successful docking of two vehicles in space. As spacecraft 
commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, Neil 
Armstrong inspired millions around the world. He inspired me. And he 
passed away just this past August.
  Madam Speaker, it's clear that Neil Armstrong never sought the honor 
of having a NASA center named after him while he was alive. And the 
truth is, his name is going to live long throughout history whether or 
not we ever name anything for him. I expect that today we will approve 
this legislation, and that's fine. But I hope that all the Members who 
vote to honor him today will remember his testimony before the House 
Science, Space, and Technology Committee. I know that our chairman, Mr. 
Hall, will remember that during that testimony he argued eloquently for 
the critical importance of giving NASA a sustainable future and a human 
exploration program that can once again inspire our children and 
humanity around the world.
  It seems rather extraordinary that even as we're honoring our hero, 
Neil Armstrong, that we face a situation where NASA's budget would be 
decimated, gutting the very programs that Neil Armstrong felt so 
passionately about. And if the same Members who vote to honor him today 
will commit to working in the coming months and years for those 
exploration goals, to those heights to which he devoted the last years 
of his life, then we will have truly honored Neil Armstrong in an 
enduring and meaningful way.
  And with that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the very capable 
majority whip, the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy).
  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Madam Speaker, to the committee, thank 
you for your work, and especially to Chairman Hall for his tenure on 
the committee and his history-making here in Congress. I thank you.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6612 to honor two 
great pioneers in American aeronautics and space exploration, Dr. Hugh 
Dryden and astronaut Neil Armstrong.
  Some of us here today can remember the pride every American felt in 
the summer of 1969 when we heard Neil Armstrong utter those famous 
words, ``that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,'' 
when he led the Apollo 11 mission and landed on the Moon.
  Before this incredible trip, 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'm proud to represent.
  Armstrong accumulated 2,400 hours of flying as a test pilot there, 
mainly in experimental jets. He was also part of the team in the early 
1960s that researched how to land on the Moon using the Lunar Landing 
Research Vehicle.
  After the success of Apollo 11, Armstrong became NASA's deputy 
associate administrator for aeronautics. Under Armstrong's leadership, 
the center had one of its most far-reaching technological breakthroughs 
in a concept called digital fly-by-wire, the precursor to computerized 
flight control systems used on nearly all military and civilian high-
performance aircraft, including the space shuttles.
  At NASA's Dryden 50th anniversary, Armstrong said in his speech: ``My 
years here were wonderful years. Dryden was a most unusual place--its 
enormous curiosity, wonderful intensity, and its unbelievable 
willingness to attempt the impossible here.''
  H.R. 6612 would rename the center in his honor the Neil A. Armstrong 
Flight Research Center.

                              {time}  1110

  The bill would also honor Dr. Hugh Dryden's contributions to 
aerospace engineering, some that made Neil Armstrong's achievements 
possible.
  Dr. Dryden was an early pioneer in aerodynamics and helped with many 
scientific breakthroughs, including the X-15 aircraft that launched 
some test pilots to careers as astronauts, including Neil Armstrong.
  Dr. Dryden was chosen to be NASA's first deputy administrator in 
1958, placing him in charge of the programs that allowed the Agency to 
send those three brave men to the Moon in 1969. Dr. Dryden passed away 
in 1965, just a few years before his work was fulfilled and Armstrong 
took that first small step.
  H.R. 6612 will memorialize both men by redesignating the Dryden 
Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center 
and the Western Aeronautic Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden 
Aeronautical Test Range.
  Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the 
NASA Flight Research Center in east Kern County remain a hub of 
scientific discovery, aeronautical 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.
  Madam Speaker, I will insert the following letters of support for my 
bill into the Record. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
this bill.

                                                       SPACEX,

                                Washington, DC, December 13, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: I am writing to express SpaceX's 
     support for your recently introduced legislation, H.R. 6612, 
     to redesignate the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil 
     A. Armstrong Flight Research Center.
       Throughout his extraordinary life, Neil Armstrong served as 
     an inspiration to the nation and to the world, as a leader, 
     explorer, and educator. His historic voyage to the Moon in 
     1969 opened the cosmos and created a legacy of greatness that 
     will be forever remembered by all those in the pursuit of 
     discovery.
       By renaming the Center, you are honoring Neil Armstrong's 
     life of achievements every day with the groundbreaking 
     science conducted there. SpaceX and our more than 2,200 
     employees applaud this important legislation and are proud to 
     look to Commander Armstrong's outstanding character every day 
     as we take our first steps into space.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Tim Hughes,
     Senior Vice President & General Counsel.
                                  ____

                                                              EAFB


                                        Civ-Mil Support Group,

                                                    Lancaster, CA.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy, The Edwards Air Force Base 
     Civilian/Military Support Group wishes to convey to you its 
     support of an initiative to change the designation of the 
     ``NASA Dryden Flight Research Center'' at Edwards AFB, Ca. to 
     the ``Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center'' and the 
     designation of the ``Western Aeronautical Test Range'' as the 
     ``Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.''
       Founded over 24 years ago, our organization is the only 
     non-profit group dedicated exclusively to supporting the men 
     and women, both civilian and military, who serve at Edwards 
     AFB. As such, we feel it is entirely fitting that the NASA 
     Dryden Flight Research Center be re-named in honor of Neil A. 
     Armstrong, a decorated naval aviator and flight test pioneer 
     who faithfully served our nation in both civilian and 
     military capacities. Additionally, Mr. Armstrong enjoyed 
     close ties to both the flight test community at Edwards AFB 
     and the local Antelope Valley civilian community. In fact, 
     many of his former colleagues still reside here and speak 
     fondly of Mr. Armstrong and his contributions to this nation.
       We would like to also recognize that the contributions to 
     this country made by Hugh

[[Page 18441]]

     L. Dryden are many and of worthy distinction in their own 
     right and we do not wish to detract from such a distinguished 
     legacy. Therefore, out of respect for Mr. Dryden's living 
     family members and in order to preserve his memory we feel it 
     is entirely appropriate to re-name the Western Aeronautical 
     Test Range in his honor.
       Our nation is in dire need of programs that build on a 
     solid base of science, mathematics and engineering in order 
     to keep pace with our ever expanding technology. We feel the 
     re-designation of these two assets will help to inspire 
     future generations of aviators, scientists and engineers.
       For the above reasons, the Edwards AFB Civilian/Military 
     Support Group joins with our legislative offices and other 
     community organizations in supporting the proposed name 
     change to the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and 
     Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
       Thank you for your efforts in pushing this initiative 
     forward in Congress and we wish you great success.
           Sincerely,

                                             Danny A. Bazzell,

                                            President, Edwards AFB
     Civilian/Military Support Group.
                                  ____



                                      Mojave Air & Space Port,

                                    Mojave, CA, November 27, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy, Mojave Air & Space Port strongly 
     supports a Resolution in favor of the proposed name change of 
     the current NASA Dryden Flight Research Center to the Neil A. 
     Armstrong Flight Research Center and Western Aeronautical 
     Test Range to the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
       It is most appropriate that Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong be 
     honored and memorialized in this way with his noted lifelong 
     accomplishments as the first human to walk on the moon and as 
     a former test pilot who worked at the Dryden Flight Research 
     Center for seven years (1955-1962) as well as emphasis on the 
     contributions of the center to the agency's space exploration 
     mission.
       The Resolution recognizes the importance of this center in 
     advancing technology and science through flight research and 
     technology integration to revolutionizing aviation and 
     pioneering aerospace technology as well as space exploration. 
     We feel that this would be an extraordinary honor for Neil 
     Armstrong by strongly encouraging and supporting the passage 
     of this legislation to honor his memory as well as 
     acknowledging the accomplishments of Hugh L. Dryden by 
     renaming the aeronautical test range in his honor.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Stuart O. Witt,
     Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____



                                               Sacramento, CA,

                                                November 28, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: Thank you for introducing 
     legislation to recognize Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden's 
     enormous contributions to our national space program and the 
     aerospace community in the Antelope Valley.
       Designating the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration's (NASA) 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 honors both of these individuals appropriately and 
     in a way that highlights the contributions they have made.
       Aerospace is an ever changing, constantly advancing field. 
     In the same way it was right to redesignate the former Lewis 
     Research Center in Ohio to honor John Glenn's achievements 
     and contributions, it is right to do so to honor Neil 
     Armstrong and Hugh Dryden at the Edwards AFB facility.
       On behalf of the nine million California residents, 
     including the aerospace communities in the high desert areas 
     of Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, I fully 
     support H.R. 6612 and encourage all our federal 
     representatives to join and support your legislation. Thank 
     you for your time and consideration.
           Sincerely,

                                                George Runner,

                                          Member, California State
     Board of Equalization.
                                  ____

                                           Greater Antelope Valley


                                            Economic Alliance,

                                  Lancaster, CA, December 5, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: On behalf of the Board of 
     Directors of the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance 
     (GAVEA), I'm requesting your support of an initiative to 
     designate the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, 
     Calif., the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and 
     to designate NASA's Western Aeronautical Test Range the NASA 
     Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
       GAVEA has been a supporter of the flight test missions at 
     Edwards since our inception in 2000. In light of NASA's 
     current mission to ``extend the frontiers of space 
     exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics 
     research,'' we can think of no other person than Neil 
     Armstrong whose name has the ability to inspire the next 
     generation of researchers, scientists and space explorers.
       In addition, Mr. Armstrong had strong ties to both the 
     center and the local community and lived an extraordinary 
     life of service not only to his country as a test pilot and 
     astronaut, but also as an educator. Recognition of his 
     contribution to the nation is long overdue. Many of his 
     former colleagues from the center still reside in our 
     community and can attest to his reputation for exemplary 
     values as well as technical and operational excellence.
       With due consideration, we acknowledge that Dr. Hugh Dryden 
     also made a significant contribution to the NASA center at 
     Edwards. However, few people today, especially young people, 
     are able to make an immediate connection to his name. We 
     believe it is important to preserve his legacy and that 
     naming the Aeronautical Test Range after him would be a 
     fitting tribute to his memory and to his living family 
     members. It is a far more imperative mandate, however, to do 
     what we can now to inspire math and science education though 
     the center so that the important mission at NASA continues 
     into the future. A fresh face on the facility at Edwards, in 
     our opinion, will accomplish that objective.
       The Board of Directors of GAVEA wholeheartedly join our 
     local legislators in endorsing this name change that reflects 
     the outstanding successes of the center for over 60 years. We 
     thank you for your effort to advance this initiative in 
     Congress in the weeks to come.
           Sincerely,
                                                Dr. Jackie Fisher,
     GAVEA, Chairman.
                                  ____



                                 Palmdale Chamber of Commerce,

                                  Palmdale, CA, November 28, 2012.

       On behalf of the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce, I want to 
     share our support for the name change of NASA's Dryden Flight 
     Research Center.
       The Palmdale Chamber of Commerce has always been supportive 
     of and, has been a beneficiary of, aerospace and space 
     exploration brought about through the work of NASA. My 
     personal dealings with NASA have led me to believe that they 
     have done their due diligence in educating the population on 
     who Hugh Dryden was however, many still do not know, nor will 
     they ever know the impact of his work.
       For this reason, the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce is 
     supportive of a name change to NASA's Dryden Flight Research 
     Center. A change in name to the Neil A. Armstrong Flight 
     Research Center brings familiarity to NASA and in name alone 
     will lend itself to increased interest in NASA's mission at 
     the Flight Research Center.
       Thank you for your consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Jeff McElfresh,
     CEO, Palmdale Chamber of Commerce.
                                  ____



                               Antelope Valley Board of Trade,

                                     Lancaster, CA, Nov. 27, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: The Antelope Valley Board of 
     Trade wishes to express to you its support of an initiative 
     to designate the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at 
     Edwards, Calif., the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research 
     Center and to designate NASA's Western Aeronautical Test 
     Range the NASA Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
       Our organization has been a supporter of the flight test 
     missions at Edwards since the late 1950s. To that effect, we 
     have seen numerous name changes of the NASA facility over the 
     years, and we feel that the timing is right to move the 
     center into a new era. In light of NASA's current mission to 
     ``extend the frontiers of space exploration, scientific 
     discovery, and aeronautics research'' we can think of no 
     other person than Neil Armstrong whose name has the ability 
     to inspire the next generation of researchers, scientists and 
     space explorers.
       In addition, Mr. Armstrong had strong ties both to the 
     center and to the local community and lived an extraordinary 
     life of service not only to his country as a test pilot and 
     astronaut, but also as an educator. Recognition of his 
     contribution to the nation is long overdue. Many of his 
     former colleagues from the center still reside in our 
     community and can attest to his reputation for exemplary 
     values as well as technical and operational excellence.
       With due consideration, we acknowledge that Dr. Hugh Dryden 
     also made a significant contribution to the NASA center at 
     Edwards. However, few people today, especially young people, 
     are able to make an immediate connection to his name. We 
     believe it is important to preserve his legacy and that 
     naming the Aeronautical Test Range after him would be a 
     fitting tribute to his memory and to his living family 
     members. It is a far more imperative mandate, however,

[[Page 18442]]

     to do what we can now to inspire math and science education 
     through the center so that the important mission at NASA 
     continues into the future. A fresh face on the facility at 
     Edwards, in our opinion, will accomplish that objective.
       We join our local legislators in endorsing this name change 
     that reflects the outstanding successes of the center for 
     over 60 years. We thank you for your efforts to advance this 
     initiative in Congress in the weeks to come.
       For over fifty-three years the mission of the Antelope 
     Valley Board of Trade has been ``to promote diverse business 
     and industry, quality infrastructures, and a strong 
     legislative voice for the benefit of our members and the 
     greater Antelope Valley.''
           Sincerely,
                                                     Vicki Medina,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                             Kern County Board of Supervisors,

                                Bakersfield, CA, December 4, 2012.
     Hon. Barbara Boxer,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Boxer: The Kern County Board of Supervisors 
     supports legislation by Rep. Kevin McCarthy to redesignate 
     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 
     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 legislation will accomplish three important goals: (1) 
     to honor and memorialize Neil A. Armstrong, the first human 
     to walk on the Moon and a former test pilot who worked at the 
     Center for seven years (1955-1962), (2) to emphasize the 
     contributions of that Center to the agency's space 
     exploration mission, and (3) to continue to memorialize the 
     extraordinary career of Hugh F. Dryden by renaming the 
     aeronautical test range (approximately 12,000 square miles of 
     special use airspace) in his honor.
       Neil Armstrong's career in test flight began at Edwards Air 
     Force Base. At the time he became an astronaut, Armstrong had 
     logged 2,400 hours of flying time as a test pilot at Edwards, 
     about 900 of the hours in jets. Armstrong was the only member 
     of his class of astronauts who had flown in any rocket-
     powered aircraft, notably the X-15. which he piloted seven 
     times at the Center.
       While still a test pilot at the NASA Flight Test Center in 
     the early 1960s, Armstrong was part of a team that 
     conceptualized the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV), a 
     flight test article that proved critically important in 
     learning what would be required to pilot a spacecraft to a 
     lunar landing. The LLRV evolved into the Lunar Landing 
     Training Vehicle in which Armstrong and all other commanders 
     of Apollo lunar landing missions trained for their descents 
     from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.
       At the conclusion of Apollo 11, Armstrong left his 
     astronaut duties and became NASA's Deputy Associate 
     Administrator for Aeronautics. In this post he oversaw the 
     aeronautical research programs being conducted at the Center 
     and took a lead role in the Center's work on the new 
     technology of digital fly-by-wire (DFBW), a concept for 
     flying an airplane electronically. NASA considers DFBW 
     technology to be one of the most far-reaching research 
     technology breakthroughs that its Flight Research Center has 
     made in its 60-year history. DFBW technology was the 
     forerunner of the computerized flight control systems used on 
     nearly all modern high performance aircraft, on military and 
     civilian transports, and on the space shuttles.
       Given Commander Armstrong's extraordinary career and his 
     close association with Edwards Air Force Base, our Board 
     believes it is appropriate to redesignate the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Dryden Flight 
     Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research 
     Center, and that it is equally appropriate to re-designate 
     the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden 
     Aeronautical Test Range. We respectfully request your strong 
     support for this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Zack Scrivner,
     Chairman.
                                  ____



                             Kern County Board of Supervisors,

                                Bakersfield, CA, December 4, 2012.
     Hon. Jim Costa,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Costa: The Kern County Board of 
     Supervisors supports legislation by Rep. Kevin McCarthy to 
     redesignate the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration's (NASA) 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 legislation will accomplish three important goals: (1) 
     to honor and memorialize Neil A, Armstrong. the first human 
     to walk on the Moon and a former test pilot who worked at the 
     Center for seven years (1955-1962), (2) to emphasize the 
     contributions of that Center to the agency's space 
     exploration mission, and (3) to continue to memorialize the 
     extraordinary career of Hugh L. Dryden by renaming the 
     aeronautical test range (approximately 12,000 square miles of 
     special use airspace) in his honor.
       Neil Armstrong's career in test flight began at Edwards Air 
     Force Base. At the time he became an astronaut. Armstrong had 
     logged 2,400 hours of flying time as a test pilot at Edwards, 
     about 900 of the hours in jets. Armstrong was the only member 
     of his class of astronauts who had flown in any rocket-
     powered aircraft, notably the X-15, which he piloted seven 
     times at the Center.
       While still a test pilot at the NASA Flight Test Center in 
     the early 1960s, Armstrong was part of a team that 
     conceptualized the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV), a 
     flight test article that proved critically important in 
     learning what would be required to pilot a spacecraft to a 
     lunar landing. The LLRV evolved into the Lunar Landing 
     Training Vehicle in which Armstrong and all other commanders 
     of Apollo lunar landing missions trained for their descents 
     from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.
       At the conclusion of Apollo 11, Armstrong left his 
     astronaut duties and became NASA's Deputy Associate 
     Administrator for Aeronautics. In this post he oversaw the 
     aeronautical research programs being conducted at the Center 
     and took a lead role in the Center's work on the new 
     technology of digital fly-by-wire (DFBW), a concept for 
     flying an airplane electronically. NASA considers DFBW 
     technology to be one of the most far-reaching research 
     technology breakthroughs that its Flight Research Center has 
     made in its 60-year history. DFBW technology was the 
     forerunner of the computerized flight control systems used on 
     nearly all modern high performance aircraft, on military and 
     civilian transports, and on the space shuttles.
       Given Commander Armstrong's extraordinary career and his 
     close association with Edwards Air Force Base, our Board 
     believes it is appropriate to redesignate the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Dryden Flight 
     Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research 
     Center, and that it is equally appropriate to re-designate 
     the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden 
     Aeronautical Test Range. We respectfully request your strong 
     support for this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Zack Scrivner,
     Chairman.
                                  ____



                             Kern County Board of Supervisors,

                                Bakersfield, CA, December 4, 2012.
     Hon. Dianne Feinstein,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Feinstein: The Kern County Board of 
     Supervisors supports legislation by Rep. Kevin McCarthy to 
     redesignate the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration's (NASA) 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 legislation will accomplish three important goals: (1) 
     to honor and memorialize Neil A. Armstrong, the first human 
     to walk on the Moon and a former test pilot who worked at the 
     Center for seven years (1955-1962), (2) to emphasize the 
     contributions of that Center to the agency's space 
     exploration mission, and (3) to continue to memorialize the 
     extraordinary career of Hugh L. Dryden by renaming the 
     aeronautical test range (approximately 12,000 square miles of 
     special use airspace) in his honor.
       Neil Armstrong's career in test flight began at Edwards Air 
     Force Base. At the time he became an astronaut, Armstrong had 
     logged 2,400 hours of flying time as a test pilot at Edwards, 
     about 900 of the hours in jets. Armstrong was the only member 
     of his class of astronauts who had flown in any rocket-
     powered aircraft, notably the X-15, which he piloted seven 
     times at the Center.
       While still a test pilot at the NASA Flight Test Center in 
     the early 1960s, Armstrong was part of a team that 
     conceptualized the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV), a 
     flight test article that proved critically important in 
     learning what would be required to pilot a spacecraft to a 
     lunar landing. The LLRV evolved into the Lunar Landing 
     Training Vehicle in which Armstrong and all other commanders 
     of Apollo lunar landing missions trained for their descents 
     from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.
       At the conclusion of Apollo 11, Armstrong, left his 
     astronaut duties and became NASA's Deputy Associate 
     Administrator for Aeronautics. In this post he oversaw the 
     aeronautical research programs being conducted at the Center 
     and took a lead role in the Center's work on the new 
     technology of digital fly-by-wire (DFBW), a concept for 
     flying an airplane electronically. NASA considers DFBW 
     technology to be one of the most far-reaching research 
     technology breakthroughs that its Flight Research Center has 
     made in its 60-year history. DFBW technology was the 
     forerunner of the computerized flight control systems used on 
     nearly all modern high performance aircraft, on military and 
     civilian transports, and on the space shuttles.
       Given Commander Armstrong's extraordinary career and his 
     close association with Edwards Air Force Base, our Board 
     believes

[[Page 18443]]

     it is appropriate to re-designate the National Aeronautics 
     and Space Administration's (NASA) Dryden Flight Research 
     Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center, and 
     that it is equally appropriate to redesignate the Western 
     Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical 
     Test Range. We respectfully request your strong support for 
     this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Jack Scrivner,
     Chairman.
                                  ____



                             Kern County Board of Supervisors,

                                Bakersfield, CA, December 4, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: The Kern County Board of 
     Supervisors supports your legislation to redesignate the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 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 legislation will honor and memorialize Neil A. 
     Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon and a former 
     test pilot who worked at the Center for seven years (1955-
     1962); emphasize the contributions of that Center to the 
     agency's space exploration mission, and continue to 
     memorialize the extraordinary career of Hugh L. Dryden by 
     renaming the aeronautical test range (approximately 12,000 
     square miles of special use airspace) in his honor.
       Neil Armstrong's career in test flight began at Edwards Air 
     Force Base. At the time he became an astronaut, Armstrong had 
     logged 2,400 hours of flying time as a test pilot at Edwards, 
     about 900 of the hours in jets. Armstrong was the only member 
     of his class of astronauts who had flown in any rocket-
     powered aircraft, notably the X-15, which he piloted seven 
     times at the Center.
       While still a test pilot at the NASA Flight Test Center in 
     the early 1960s, Armstrong was part of a team that 
     conceptualized the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV), a 
     flight test article that proved critically important in 
     learning what would be required to pilot a spacecraft to a 
     lunar landing. The LLRV evolved into the Lunar Landing 
     Training Vehicle in which Armstrong and all other commanders 
     of Apollo lunar landing missions trained for their descents 
     from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.
       At the conclusion of Apollo 11, Commander Armstrong left 
     his astronaut duties and became NASA's Deputy Associate 
     Administrator for Aeronautics. In this post he oversaw the 
     aeronautical research programs being conducted at the Center 
     and took a lead role in the Center's work on the new 
     technology of digital fly-by-wire (DFBW), a concept for 
     flying an airplane electronically. NASA considers DFBW 
     technology to be one of the most far-reaching research 
     technology breakthroughs that its Flight Research Center has 
     made in its 60-year history. DFBW technology was the 
     forerunner of the computerized flight control systems used on 
     nearly all modern high performance aircraft, on military and 
     civilian transports, and on the space shuttles.
       Given Commander Armstrong's extraordinary career and his 
     close association with Edwards Air Force Base, our Board 
     believes it is appropriate to redesignate the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Dryden Flight 
     Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research 
     Center, and that it is equally appropriate to redesignate the 
     Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden 
     Aeronautical Test Range. We therefore offer our strong 
     support for your legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Zack Scrivner,
     Chairman.
                                  ____



                                             City of Palmdale,

                                   Palmdale, CA, December 3, 2012.
     Congressman Kevin McCarthy,
     House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: The City of Palmdale is pleased 
     to support your legislature proposal to re-designate NASA 
     Dryden Flight Research Center in honor of Neil A. Armstrong.
       The Antelope Valley, including Palmdale, is known for its 
     rich aviation history and heritage, largely resulting from 
     operations at Air Force Plant 42 and Edwards Air Force Base 
     including NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. Our residents 
     and local businesses are involved in making extensive 
     contributions to our nation in the fields of space 
     exploration, national defense, aeronautics and other 
     scientific discovery.
       With NASA's new vision for space exploration, there is a 
     need to inspire the next generation of scientists and 
     researchers to explore space. The proposed name change will 
     accomplish two important goals: to honor Neil Armstrong, test 
     pilot and Apollo 11 astronaut who was the first person to 
     walk on the Moon and a former test pilot at the Center, as 
     well as to emphasize the contributions of the Center to the 
     Agency's space exploration mission.
       Again, I applaud your efforts and thank you for introducing 
     this legislation and your ongoing support of the Antelope 
     Valley.
           Sincerely
                                            James C. Ledford, Jr.,
     Mayor.
                                  ____



                           City of California City, City Hall,

                           California City, CA, November 28, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: The City of California City 
     whole heartedly supports and indorses the proposed name 
     change of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center to the Neil 
     A. Armstrong Flight Research Center in honor of Neil 
     Armstrong's lifelong service to his country and the expansion 
     of space exploration.
       The rich history of NASA and it's relationship with Mr. 
     Armstrong which lead to his accomplishments throughout his 
     career inspire the ``Can Do'' attitude that makes America the 
     nation of leaders that others constantly strive to emulate.
       We applaud your efforts to make this a realization so that 
     future Americans will continue to recognize this pioneer's 
     efforts whenever they come in contact with the NASA's Flight 
     Research Center.
           Sincerely,
                                             William T. Weil, Jr.,
     City Manager.
                                  ____



                                                Lancaster, CA,

                                                November 29, 2012.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McCarthy: The Antelope Valley Board of 
     Trade wishes to express to you its support of an initiative 
     to designate the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at 
     Edwards, California the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight 
     Research Center and to designate NASA's Western Aeronautical 
     Test Range the NASA Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.
       Our organization has been a long-time supporter of the 
     flight test missions at Edwards. To that effect, we have seen 
     numerous name changes of the NASA facility over the years, 
     and we feel that the timing is right to move the center into 
     a new era. In light of NASA's current mission to ``extend the 
     frontiers of space exploration, scientific discovery, and 
     aeronautics research'', we can think of no other person than 
     Neil Armstrong whose name has the ability to inspire the next 
     generation of researchers, scientists, and space explorers.
       In addition, Mr. Armstrong had strong ties both to the 
     center and to the local community and lived an extraordinary 
     life of service not only to his country as a test pilot and 
     astronaut, but also as an educator. Recognition of his 
     contribution to the nation is long overdue. Many of his 
     former colleagues from the center still reside in our 
     community and can attest to his reputation for exemplary 
     values as well as technical and operational excellence.
       We join our local legislators in endorsing this name change 
     that reflects the outstanding successes of the center for 
     over 60 years. We thank you for your efforts to advance this 
     initiative in Congress in the weeks to come.
           Sincerely,
                                                    R. Rex Parris,
                                                            Mayor.

  Ms. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
  Mr. KUCINICH. Neil Armstrong's voyage to the Moon represented a 
personal heroic journey, and it was also expressive of a uniquely 
American capability and capacity to reach higher and higher, to expand 
our horizons, to seek newer worlds, and to do that with a sense of 
wonder and in peace. May we regain that capacity through recognizing 
him today.
  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas, Mr. Lamar Smith, who, on the 3rd day of January will be the 
chairman of Science, Space, and Technology for many, many years.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas, 
the chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee for 
yielding me time.
  Madam Speaker, first I want to thank the gentleman from California, 
Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, for honoring both 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, and Neil Armstrong was the one who actually 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 and program manager for that 
spacecraft, which Neil Armstrong flew seven times.

[[Page 18444]]

  While everyone knows that Neil Armstrong was the first person to set 
foot on the Moon, not many people know Hugh Dryden's role. The Soviets 
launched the first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957, and Cosmonaut Yuri 
Gagarin became the first man in space in April 1961.
  President John F. Kennedy was looking for a way to demonstrate 
American ingenuity and technical superiority over the Soviet Union, so 
he convened the National Space Council and asked for their advice on 
the best way for America to respond to the Soviets' string of firsts in 
space exploration. Hugh Dryden was the person in that meeting who 
recommended to the President that the goal of putting a person 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, and Neil 
Armstrong turned that dream into reality by making that ``one small 
step for 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.
  Again, Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congressman McCarthy for 
honoring their legacy, which reminds us that America always needs to 
think about new frontiers.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I'd like to inquire of Mr. Hall as to 
whether he has additional speakers; otherwise, I'm ready to close.
  Mr. HALL. No, we do not have additional speakers.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  It seems so fitting that we're here today to recognize Neil 
Armstrong. And I want to thank Mr. Hall both for his leadership of our 
Science Committee and the opportunity that we've had to work together. 
He is a good friend. I look forward to working with our new chairman, 
Mr. Smith, in the next Congress.
  And it seems that we will have an opportunity to work on the things 
that Neil Armstrong believed in and felt so passionately about: about 
making sure that the United States remains at the top of the leader 
board when it comes to space exploration; making certain that, as he 
expressed in our committee, NASA remains at the forefront of our 
technology development, of our research, of our capacity.
  There are few of us who will get to see or to know what Neil 
Armstrong saw and knew. There are few of us, though we want to, who 
will be able to see the universe in the kind of way that Neil Armstrong 
did. But what we do know is that we have the ability here in this 
Congress and in future Congresses to actually preserve what it is that 
we do in space and how we use technology, and that we build on the 
great promise of Hugh Dryden and Neil Armstrong and our great capacity 
as a Nation for research and development and technology.
  I know that our leaders will be committed to preserving the names of 
these great heroes in the work that we do in the future, for our 
children and for generations to come.
  It also seems very fitting that in honoring Neil Armstrong--and I 
will just say personally, there are few opportunities here in the 
Congress where you feel like you really get to both touch the past and 
look to the future, and for me, that came in just being able to meet 
and to talk with Neil Armstrong when he came before our committee, Mr. 
Chairman.
  And I will say, having watched all of those missions as a little girl 
sitting in front of a black-and-white television, in a classroom, 
seeing the promise and capacity of our universe and our scientific 
endeavors and creation, that Neil Armstrong was at the center of that. 
And so I am pleased that we're able to honor him today, but I hope that 
we can honor him and his legacy in the future with the work that we do 
to preserve the great work that's done at the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration for all of our future generations.
  To the chairman, I know that, to Chairman Hall, Neil Armstrong was a 
special friend of his as well and quite an inspiration, but an 
inspiration for generations. And so it gives me great pleasure to be 
able to present H.R. 6612 in renaming the Dryden Research Center as the 
Neil A. Armstrong Center, and I look forward to continuing to support 
the great work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, before I close, I'd just like to thank Jay 
Pierson, who plans to retire at the end of this year, for his many, 
many years of service to this House. He's been very helpful to me, to 
my staff, and to other staffs. He'll be sorely missed.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I proudly stand with my good friend and 
fellow Californian, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, in strong support of 
legislation we have both championed, H.R. 6612, which will redesignate 
NASA's 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.
  One of the greatest benefits of public service in U.S. House of 
Representatives is the people that you meet from all walks of life.
  I had the very high honor and privilege of meeting Mr. Armstrong on 
several occasions before he passed away on August 25, 2012.
  Given his place as a revered global icon, Neil never sought the 
limelight and never lost his unassuming nature or the Midwestern values 
that his Ohio roots instilled in him.
  Those of us who were old enough to witness first hand 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 of 
mankind.
  There are few events in history that have had such a profound and 
positive impact, transcending generations across the globe.
  H.R. 6612 is just one way we can pay tribute to this great American 
hero.
  The bill will accomplish three important goals: (1) to honor Neil A. 
Armstrong, who served as an experimental research test pilot at the 
center from 1955 to 1962; (2) to emphasize the contributions of that 
center to NASA's current space exploration mission; and (3) 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.
  I urge my House colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 6612.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6612.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________