posted 04-29-2007 06:13 AM               

The change, supported by some space-advocacy organizations, is proposed in part with the goal of inspiring a new generation of scientists and researchers to explore space.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Riverside, said he is drafting legislation to rename the center after Armstrong and still honor Hugh Dryden by naming a test range after him.

posted 04-29-2007 08:33 PM               

For example, the students attending the Buzz Aldrin Elementary School in Virginia benefit by Aldrin's annual visits.

Armstrong's legacy in NASA history is not likely to change greatly over the next 100 years, therefore if the intention is to honor Armstrong regardless of the timing, then is there really harm in doing so while he might also enjoy the recognition?

(Although given past comments, Armstrong might be the first to resist such efforts or accolades.)

posted 04-29-2007 08:52 PM            

Reflecting the wider achievements of the Edwards base it resides in, I would have thought Yeager, the recently deceased Crossfield, etc. would be far more fitting - or Mike Adams, the first to die returning from a suborbital spaceflight in the X-15, a very fitting memorial.

Armstrong had an impressive career there, and made some impressive flights, but it seems he would be getting this honor for events that happened later in his career, elsewhere. Good PR for the area, perhaps, but the most fitting choice? I doubt Armstrong himself would place his name at the top of such a list.

posted 04-30-2007 03:34 PM               

Dr. Dryden was the investgator and instigator of many high speed test projects. He was responsible for the initial designs for the X-15 project.

Don't tell Dr. Seamans that Dryden doesn't deserve to maintain the name on HSTC. Seamans said to me personally that Dryden was the glue that held Webb and Seamans together until his death. Dr. Seamans wrote about it in "Apollo, The Tough Decisions."

Webb relied Dryden's technical expertise to develop NASA's response to Kennedy's questions on how to win the "Space Race."

In the meantime, Armstrong flew the X-15 a few times between 1960 and 1962 at HSTC. I think there are more deserving test pilots at the HSTC and they only got streets named after them.

Mr. Armstrong has accomplished great things, but to remove Dr. Dryden's name from the HSTC, someone is going to have to do more.

You might as well as change the name of the Langley center first. Hey, I would change the name of Langley to Dryden to honor him in a more appropriate manner.

posted 04-30-2007 04:04 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Larry McGlynn:
Remember that you have to study your history. You won't know where you are going, if you don't know where you have been. They are still using Dryden's research in today's high speed world.

---

Very, very well said. I wish that I had been more articulate, but you have done an excellent job of expressing my feelings as well as your own.

posted 04-30-2007 05:21 PM               

I shouldn't think that the name for a facilty would really be the motivating factor for people to explore space. Exploring space, by itself, is already a pretty big motivation for those inclined for such careers. As such, I don't see any reason to insult Dryden's family by shifting his name to some test range and giving Neil yet another place named after him.

posted 04-30-2007 06:17 PM               

Today, more than ever, NASA's streamlined focus is on space exploration and as Griffin said early in his tenure: if you aren't contributing to the Vision, then you should start looking for employment elsewhere.

Lewis changed its name to Glenn in 1999, and without negating any of the good space work they were doing before, can we absolutely discount that their new space-sounding title didn't have the slightest of difference in getting people (read: Washington) to start thinking of them as a space center? Today, Glenn has a major role in Constellation, managing Orion's service module and the test articles for the first Ares launches.

NASA's budget isn't getting any larger and for the other centers to compete against KSC and JSC (and to a lesser degree, Marshall and Goddard), they need to do whatever they can to draw attention to their space strengths.

posted 04-30-2007 07:16 PM               

This would:

1. Not belittle the thousands of workers that made the dreams into reality by giving the name to one person.
   
2. Be very nostalgic
   
3. Make it apparent to congressional observers and public what the center actually does - without being confused with a personal name that has a connotation that may or may not reflect the centers' goal or a national goal.

posted 05-01-2007 07:23 AM               

Griffin already said, that he has to maintain aeronautical research. It is a congressional mandate.

posted 05-01-2007 08:11 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Larry McGlynn:
This bill is just an easy thing for the Honorable Congressman Calvert to put his name on and has no real meaning.

---

posted 05-01-2007 01:08 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by kyra:
Of course JSC old school (MSFC Manned Spaceflight Center) - would be called NASA's Human Spaceflight Center.

---

posted 05-01-2007 01:47 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
NASA's budget isn't getting any larger and for the other centers to compete against KSC and JSC (and to a lesser degree, Marshall and Goddard), they need to do whatever they can to draw attention to their space strengths.

---

If that's the case, I would suggest they just rename each facility after the current leaders in Congress who play the largest role in getting NASA the funding it needs. Then just keep changing the names as congressmen come and go. Or change the names to favor the congressmen who vote for the largest budget increases.

If the names of the facilities are to be driven by budget concerns, we might as well not beat around the bush and do it properly.

posted 08-01-2007 10:52 AM               

Rep. Calvert Introduces Legislation to Add Neil Armstrong's name to NASA Center

In a bipartisan effort, 33 members of Congress jointly introduced legislation on July 31 that would add the name of Neil Armstrong to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The legislation would redesignate the center as NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and name the test range NASA Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range. While Armstrong is best known as the first human to step onto the Moon, he is also a former test pilot at NASA Dryden for seven years.

The legislative effort was led by California Congressman Ken Calvert who was joined by 23 members of the California Congressional delegation — Reps. Adam Schiff, Kevin McCarthy, Buck McKeon, Lois Capps, Zoe Lofgren, David Dreier, Wally Herger, Dana Rohrabacher, John Campbell, John Doolittle, Devin Nunes, Jerry Lewis, Gary Miller, Daniel Lungren, George Radanovich, Elton Gallegly, Howard Berman, Edward Royce, Mary Bono, Darrell Issa, Brian Bilbray, Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa.

In addition, six members of the Ohio Congressional delegation -- Reps. Jim Jordan, David Hobson, John Boehner, Steven LaTourette, Ralph Regula, and Jean Schmidt — as well as Reps. Nick Lampson (Texas), Ralph Hall (Texas), Tom Feeney (Florida) and Madeleine Bordallo (Guam) are original co-sponsors.

posted 08-01-2007 01:55 PM            

My Congressman on that list, Issa, has a website where a letter can be written and submitted electronically (including asking for a reply). This will be easy for many of us to do who feel the same way.

As I stated earlier in the thread, my thought is not that Armstrong is undeserving of such an honor, but there are many others with far more direct links to that particular facility who would deserve it more. And more importantly, as Larry so well put it, Hugh Dryden was an enormous part of aviation and space history. To remove his name seems more of a dishonor to him.

I'd like to suggest that those of you in these Congressional districts write something via their websites - it only takes a few seconds (it wouldn't hurt to do it even if you are not in their district). And if anyone feels they wrote a particularly well-crafted letter, to post it here so we can all see it. For mine, I picked some of Larry's excellent points above to add in.

posted 08-01-2007 02:27 PM               

The legislation would redesignate the center as NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and name the test range NASA Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

posted 08-02-2007 02:40 AM               

Rep. Calvert Introduces Legislation Recognizing Two Pioneers Of Innovation And Exploration

Bill Re-Designates Government Property After Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden

Yesterday Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA-44) and other lead sponsors Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-22), Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA-25), and Adam Schiff (D-CA-29) introduced legislation to re-designate 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.

"Southern California is an integral part of our country's space exploration and aeronautical history," said Rep. Calvert, the former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. "It is important to recognize both the NASA Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range for their contributions and what better way to do that then to associate them with two great American space and aeronautics pioneers; Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden."

"It is fitting that we pay tribute to these two American heroes who contributed to the great success of the American space program," said Rep. McCarthy. "Neil Armstrong and Dr. Hugh Dryden embody the innovative spirit that continues to move NASA forward, inspiring the next generation of aerospace pioneers and advancing our legacy as the global leader in space exploration."

"Developing the United States space program has become one of the greatest endeavors this country has undertaken, so it is with tremendous honor that I help memorialize two of our most notable aeronautical contributors, Neil A. Armstrong and Dr. Hugh L. Dryden," Rep. McKeon noted. "The success of these two men helped advance NASA to be one of the finest exploration programs in the world."

"Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden are true American Heroes," said Adam Schiff. "Naming NASA's Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range after these men is not only a fitting way to honor them but it is a great way to help inspire our next generation to strive to follow in their footsteps."

The legislation, H.R. 3245, will accomplish three important goals: (1) to honor Neil A. Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon and a former test pilot who worked at the center from 1955 to 1962; (2) to emphasize the contributions of that center to the agency'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.

The Dryden Flight Research Center, located at Edwards, California, is NASA's primary center for atmospheric flight research and operations. NASA Dryden is also critical in carrying out the agency's missions of space exploration, space operations, scientific discovery, and aeronautical research and development. Before Armstrong became an astronaut in 1962, he served for seven years as a test pilot at what was then called the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) High-Speed Flight Station. The station was later established as a NASA center and eventually named after Hugh L. Dryden, one of America's most prominent aeronautical engineers. By the time he became an astronaut, Armstrong amassed 2,400 hours of flying time as a test pilot there, about 900 of it in jets.

Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, was Director of NACA from 1947 until the creation of NASA in 1958, and was named Deputy Administrator of the new aerospace agency when it was created in response to the Sputnik crisis. As an aeronautical scientist and engineer, Dr. Dryden made great contributions to our nation and the world in fields such as aerodynamics research and rocket plane research and testing.

posted 08-02-2007 12:48 PM               

While I'm opposed to these renamings, as I said when this issue first was floated a while back, at least Armstrong actually worked out at Dryden, unlike when Lewis became Glenn. I say that NASA should adopt the Air Force standards for renaming bases. They only do so with the permission of the family the base is currently named for. They don't feel that whatever honors earned having a base named for them get tarnished merely because time has passed. I heard (maybe on here) that the Lewis family was none too pleased with that change and asked for all their artifacts back, some of which NASA had lost (oops). I mentioned the Air Force policy to Boehner and offered the excellent compromise suggested by Rob.

posted 08-02-2007 01:44 PM               

If they want to honor Armstrong then why not name a building after him? There were finer research pilots at the NACA than Armstrong.... Stan Butchart, Joe Walker, Scott Crossfield, Bob Champine, Bill Dana... so why name the centre after a guy that clearly had many peers that were more competent in the pilots seat.

posted 11-29-2012 01:52 PM               

McKeon and McCarthy Seek to Honor Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong

Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon and Congressman Kevin McCarthy today (Nov. 29, 2012) announced 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. Joining Congressman McCarthy in introducing this legislation are Congressman Buck McKeon, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Congressman Ken Calvert, Congressman Lamar Smith, Congressman Steven Palazzo, and Congressman Adam Schiff.

Congressman Buck McKeon issued the following statement:

"I will never forget watching Neil Armstrong take those first steps on the Moon. In that remarkable and powerful moment, Neil Armstrong confirmed to the entire world watching that anything is possible and that nothing, not even traveling to outer space and walking on the moon, was too tall of an order for the United States. Neil Armstrong braved the unchartered territory of space exploration and paved the way for revolutionary scientific discovery. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this bill renaming the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in honor of Neil A. Armstrong. Dedicating this stellar institution to Neil Armstrong is a small token of our public gratitude and will hopefully work to ensure that his legacy is honored for generations to come."

Congressman Kevin McCarthy issued the following statement:

"Today, I introduced legislation to rename the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in honor of Neil A. Armstrong," said Congressman McCarthy. "This bill recognizes the achievements of Neil Armstrong in aerospace travel and space exploration, and highlights his important connection to Kern County. He was a great American who served as a test pilot and began training for his famous astronaut career here in Eastern Kern. Later, he oversaw aeronautical research programs at the Center and spearheaded technological innovation that continues to this day. This bill also continues to recognize Hugh Dryden by renaming the Center's test range in his honor. Eastern Kern continues to remain a hub of innovation in space exploration, aeronautical research and scientific discovery, and I look forward to more groundbreaking achievements in the future."

Local leaders agree that this action will enhance the profile of the NASA flight research center and recognize the accomplishments Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden achieved during their time in Eastern Kern:

Antelope Valley Board of Trade Executive Director Vicki Medina - "Our organization has been 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."

Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce President and CEO Ramon Ortega - "The Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce wholly supports your efforts in bringing forth this appropriate piece of legislation. Neil Armstrong and NASA Dryden are both very tied to each other and to the Antelope Valley. Considering the current status of our local economy, and the need to preserve and promote this region's aerospace legacy, we can only see opportunity in this endeavor."

Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance President Mel Layne - "Because of Neil Armstrong's distinguished career locally and internationally, it seems only fitting to memorialize his accomplishment by naming the NASA Flight Research Center the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range."

Mojave Chamber of Commerce President Cathy Hansen - "Neil Armstrong has left many footprints in Mojave, his friendship is treasured by those who knew him and memories of his flights across the skies of Mojave still echo in aerospace history."

Mojave Air and Space Port Chief Executive Officer Stuart Witt - "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."

Edwards Air Force Base Civilian-Military Support Group President Danny Bazzell - "Edwards AFB Civilian-Military Support Group joins with our legislative offices and other community organizations in supporting the proposed name change to the Neil Armstrong Flight Research Center and Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range."

Palmdale Chamber of Commerce CEO Jeff McElfresh - "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."

Background:

• The legislation redesignates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the 12,000 square mile Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

• The bill would honor 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), recognize the contributions of the Center to NASA's space exploration mission, and continue to recognize the extraordinary career of aeronautical engineer and former NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden.

• The re-designation of the NASA Flight Research Center and the Test Range is strongly supported by leading members of the aerospace industry and local community, including the Antelope Valley Board of Trade, Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce, Mojave Chamber of Commerce, Palmdale Chamber of Commerce, and Mojave Air and Space Port.

• Neil A. Armstrong's career was closely tied to NASA's Flight Research Center. Before Armstrong became an astronaut in 1962, he served for seven years as a test pilot (1955-1962) at the Center, which was then called the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics High-Speed Flight Station. By the time he became an astronaut, Armstrong amassed 2,400 hours of flying time as a test pilot there. While still a test pilot at the Center in the early 1960s, Armstrong was part of a team that conceptualized the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle which helped create the training vehicle Armstrong and other Apollo commanders use to train on to land on the moon.

posted 11-30-2012 02:57 AM               

Rather than "demoting" Dryden, why not simply honor Armstrong by naming the test range after him (wasn't he, after all, a Mojave test pilot early in his career)?

posted 01-01-2013 03:31 PM               

The bill, taken up under suspension of the rules, passed easily in a roll call vote Monday evening, 404-0. The bill still has to be passed by the Senate before new Congress convenes on Thursday.

posted 01-01-2013 03:33 PM               

I'm opposed.

I certainly mean no disrespect to the late Dr. Armstrong, and I've no doubt that this proposal by several members of Congress is well-meant... but I just can't get on board with it. For all Armstrong's accomplishments as a test pilot, Dryden hardly marks the summit of his career. Why not Yeager, White, or Crossfield?

posted 01-01-2013 10:32 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by GoesTo11:
This strikes me as an empty, grandstanding political gesture.

---

Bingo!