The publication is reproduced in full below:
COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NASA ARMSTRONG FLIGHT
RESEARCH CENTER
______
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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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 171
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