[Senate Report 116-218]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 433
116th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 116-218
_______________________________________________________________________
NEIL A. ARMSTRONG TEST FACILITY ACT
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 2472
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
February 27, 2020.--Ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
99-010 WASHINGTON : 2020
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred sixteenth congress
second session
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
ROY BLUNT, Missouri AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
TED CRUZ, Texas RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
JERRY MORAN, Kansas EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska TOM UDALL, New Mexico
CORY GARDNER, Colorado GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
MIKE LEE, Utah JON TESTER, Montana
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona
TODD C. YOUNG, Indiana JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
RICK SCOTT, Florida
John Keast, Staff Director
David Strickland, Minority Staff Director
Calendar No. 433
116th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 116-218
======================================================================
NEIL A. ARMSTRONG TEST FACILITY ACT
_______
February 27, 2020.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Wicker, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 2472]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 2472) to redesignate the NASA
John H. Glenn Research Center at Plum Brook Station, Ohio, as
the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong
Test Facility, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of S. 2472 is to redesignate the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) John H. Glenn
Research Center at Plum Brook Station, Ohio, as the NASA John
H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test
Facility.
Background and Needs
The Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility Act would redesignate
the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Plum Brook Station as
the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong
Test Facility. Neil Armstrong, the NASA astronaut who was the
first human to walk on the Moon, began his NASA career as a
test pilot at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Plum
Brook Station, and this legislation would rename the facility
in his honor.
NASA JOHN H. GLENN RESEARCH CENTER AT PLUM BROOK STATION
Plum Brook Station, in Sandusky, Ohio, is a remote test
facility for the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
Plum Brook is home to four world-class test facilities, which
perform complex and innovative ground tests for the
international space community.
The Space Environments Complex (SEC) houses the world's
largest and most powerful space environment simulation
facilities including the Space Simulation Vacuum Chamber. The
Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility is the world's most powerful
spacecraft acoustic test chamber, which can simulate the noise
of a spacecraft launch up to 163 decibels. The Mechanical
Vibration Facility is the world's highest capacity and most
powerful spacecraft shaker system, subjecting test articles to
the rigorous conditions of launch. The In-Space Propulsion
Facility is the world's only facility capable of testing full-
scale, upper-stage launch vehicles and rocket engines under
simulated high-altitude conditions. The engine or vehicle can
be exposed for indefinite periods to low ambient pressures,
low-background temperatures, and dynamic solar heating to
simulate the environment of orbital or interplanetary travel.
NEIL A. ARMSTRONG
As the spacecraft commander for the NASA Apollo 11 mission,
Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the lunar
surface. Millions of viewers watching the broadcast of the Moon
landing were inspired by his words as he took the first step on
the lunar surface: ``That's one small step for a man, one giant
leap for mankind.''
After serving as a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952,
Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics (NACA) in 1955. His first assignment was with the
NACA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, which is now
known as the NASA John H. Glenn Center. Over the next 17 years,
he was an engineer, test pilot, astronaut, and administrator
for NACA and its successor agency, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA).
Armstrong transferred to astronaut status in 1962 and was
assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission. Gemini 8
was launched on March 16, 1966, and Armstrong performed the
first successful docking of two vehicles in space. After the
Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong subsequently held the position of
Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA
Headquarters in Washington, DC. In this position, he was
responsible for the coordination and management of overall NASA
research and technology work related to aeronautics.
He was professor of aerospace engineering at the University
of Cincinnati from 1971 to 1979. During the years 1982-1992,
Armstrong was chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation,
Inc., Charlottesville, Virginia.
He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical
engineering from Purdue University and a master of science in
aerospace engineering from the University of Southern
California. He also held honorary doctorates from a number of
universities.
Armstrong was a fellow of the Society of Experimental Test
Pilots and the Royal Aeronautical Society, and an honorary
fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics and the International Astronautics Federation. He
was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the
Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco. He served as a member of the
National Commission on Space (1985-1986), as Vice-Chairman of
the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger
Accident (1986), and as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory
Committee for the Peace Corps (1971-1973).
Armstrong was decorated by 17 countries. He was the
recipient of many special 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.
Armstrong passed away on August 25, 2012, following
complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was
82 years old.
Summary of Provisions
The Neil A. Armstong Test Facility Act would do the
following:
Provide the findings of Congress regarding the
accomplishments of NASA test pilot and astronaut Neil
Armstrong.
Redesignate in his honor the NASA facility at which
Armstrong began his career.
Legislative History
S. 2474, the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility Act, was
introduced on September 12, 2019, by Senator Portman (for
himself and Senator Brown) and was referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. On
November 13, 2019, the Committee met in open Executive Session
and, by voice vote, ordered S. 2472 reported favorably without
amendment.
Estimated Costs
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
S. 2472 would redesignate the NASA John H. Glenn Research
Center at Plum Brook Station, Ohio, as the NASA John H. Glenn
Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 2472 would have no
significant effect on spending subject to appropriation.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the
legislation, as reported:
number of persons covered
The bill, as reported, would redesignate the NASA John H.
Glenn Research Center at Plum Brook Station as the NASA John H.
Glenn Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. Persons
affected by this legislation would be limited to those involved
in the redesignation of the facility.
economic impact
The bill, as reported, is not expected to have a negative
impact on the Nation's economy.
privacy
The reported bill is not expected to have an adverse impact
on the personal privacy of individuals.
paperwork
The Committee does not anticipate a major increase in
paperwork burdens resulting from the passage of this
legislation. In those areas where the reported bill requires
additional paperwork, it would be a limited and temporary
occurrence due to redesignating the facility.
Congressionally Directed Spending
In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the
rule.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title.
This section would provide that the bill may be cited as
the ``Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility Act''.
Section 2. Findings.
This section would provide the findings of Congress
regarding Neil A. Armstrong's history with what is now the NASA
John H. Glenn Research Center at Plum Brook Station, Ohio, as
well as the rationale for renaming the Center in his honor.
Section 3. Redesignation of NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Plum
Brook Station, Ohio, as NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at
the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.
This section would redesignate the NASA John H. Glenn
Research Center at Plum Brook Station, Ohio, as the NASA John
H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test
Facility.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the
bill as reported would make no change to existing law.
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