The first man on the moon could soon have a second NASA facility renamed in his memory.
Lawmakers have introduced a bill to redesignate NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for Neil Armstrong, who was the first person to walk on the moon 50 years ago this past July. The legislation, cosponsored by Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), follows similar congressional action taken five years ago that renamed NASA's flight research center in southern California for the late Apollo 11 astronaut.
"This is a fitting tribute, and a way to help ensure that future generations will be inspired by Neil Armstrong's amazing accomplishments in air and in space," said Portman in a statement.
OV-105 Member
Posts: 860 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 09-17-2019 10:19 PM
They already have the Armstrong Fight Center which was Dryden. Think it would cause problems with two places having the same name.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-25-2019 09:23 AM
US House of Representatives release
Kaptur, Gonzalez Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Rename NASA Plum Brook Station After Neil Armstrong
Today, Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to rename NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio in honor of Neil Armstrong. Plum Brook is part of the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center and is home to unique world-class facilities that conduct critical and innovative ground tests for the international aerospace community. Plum Brook Station is testing a new generation of space exploration hardware for NASA's efforts to explore the lunar surface and to again land humans on the Moon. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Brown (D-OH) and Portman (R-OH).
"Ohio is not only the birthplace of aviation, it is also the birthplace of one of human history's all-time great explorers and aviators: Neil Armstrong, the first man to ever set foot anywhere other than on our planet Earth," said Rep. Kaptur. "A native Ohioan, Neil Armstrong served as a Navy pilot and later served the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory, now known as north east Ohio's NASA John H. Glenn Research Center, of which NASA Plum Brook is affiliated. Armstrong's 'small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' has gone down as one of the most significant and memorable events in human history. Armstrong has inspired countless young people to pursue careers in aviation and public service, young people who will carry on and build upon his immeasurable legacy. It is an honor to introduce this bipartisan legislation alongside Rep. Gonzalez in the House and Senators Brown and Portman in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation."
"Since the birth of aviation, Ohioans have lead the way in aeronautics and space exploration," said Rep. Gonzalez. "The Buckeye State has produced some of modern history's greatest explorers and innovators, developed cutting edge technology, and pushed boundaries time and time again as we strive to reach the stars and explore planets beyond our own. I am proud to work with Congresswoman Kaptur in the House and Senators Portman and Brown in the U.S. Senate to rename NASA's Plum Brook Station after Neil Armstrong, Ohio's own son whose mission to the moon took him where no man had gone before."
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-28-2020 08:21 PM
Senators Brown (D-OH) and Portman (R-OH) release
Portman, Brown Praise Unanimous Senate Passage of Legislation to Rename NASA's Plum Brook Station Test Facility After Neil Armstrong
Today (June 24, 2020), U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan legislation to rename NASA's Plum Brook Station, the agency's test facility in Sandusky, Ohio, after Neil Armstrong. Portman and Brown introduced the legislation last September. Plum Brook is part of the NASA Glenn Research Center. It houses unique world-class facilities that conduct critical and innovative ground tests for the international aerospace community.
"From his service as a Navy fighter pilot, to his courageous experiments as a test pilot, to his space exploration and first step on the surface of the Moon, Neil Armstrong left an indelible mark in mankind's history of flight. In all his accomplishments, he considered himself first and foremost a test pilot who pushed the boundaries of what was possible in the air and in space," Senator Portman said. "Neil was a humble and patriotic Ohioan who believed the honor of serving his country was a reward in and of itself. That's why, when I asked him the year before he passed away whether he wanted me to pursue naming Plum Brook after him, he demurred. But he was a strong supporter of Plum Brook Station and the important simulations and testing being done there, and I believe it is precisely because of his humility, coupled with his unparalleled accomplishments, that the renaming is appropriate. This is a fitting tribute to Armstrong's amazing accomplishments in air and in space, and I'm proud my colleagues unanimously supported this legislation."
"Before Neil Armstrong became the first person to step foot on the moon, he was an up-and-coming test pilot in northeast Ohio at what is now known as the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center. I'm pleased to join Sen. Portman in honoring Ohio-native Neil Armstrong by renaming NASA Glenn's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky for a man who inspires future Ohioans to continue our state's tradition of breaking barriers in space," said Senator Brown, who now occupies the late Ohio Senator and astronaut John Glenn's old office in Washington, DC.
posted 06-29-2020 06:46 PM
Given that Armstrong already has one center named for him, Ohio natives Jim Lovell or Judith Resnik might have been better options.
David C Member
Posts: 1285 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
posted 06-30-2020 08:04 AM
Yes, especially since from what we know of Armstrong, he would not have wanted this. Still, since when are politicians above overriding someone's wishes to make themselves look good?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-16-2020 05:01 PM
Senators Brown (D-OH) and Portman (R-OH) release
Portman, Brown Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Rename NASA's Plum Brook Station Test Facility After Neil Armstrong
Today [Dec. 16, 2020], U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing their bipartisan legislation to rename NASA's Plum Brook Station, the agency's test facility in Sandusky, Ohio, after Neil Armstrong. Portman and Brown introduced the legislation last year and it was passed by the Senate in June.
The legislation now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law.
"Senator Brown and I introduced this legislation last year and I applaud the House for passing it today. I urge the president to sign this legislation into law soon as a fitting tribute to Armstrong's amazing accomplishments in air and in space," Senator Portman said.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
A remote Ohio facility used to test NASA's new moon-bound spacecraft has been renamed for the first astronaut to step foot on the lunar surface.
NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, which in March completed a three-month test campaign in support of the agency's Artemis I Orion crew capsule, has been redesignated the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. The legislation directing the change was signed into law on Wednesday (Dec. 30).
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1651 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 12-30-2020 05:07 PM
quote:Originally posted by OV-105: Think it would cause problems with two places having the same name.
One is a full up center and the other is a test facility at a center.
Wouldn't be the Armstrong Test Facility at the Glenn Research Center.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-30-2020 06:26 PM
Per the enacted law, the new formal name is NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-31-2020 02:30 PM
NASA release
Plum Brook Station Renamed Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility
We thank Ohio's members of Congress for paying tribute to Neil Armstrong by renaming NASA's Plum Brook Station in his honor.
Armstrong began his career at NASA Glenn and went on to inspire generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers. We are proud to share the name of the first person to walk on the Moon.
We look forward to working with the members' respective offices on plans to unveil the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in the near future and will provide additional details on those plans when available.
The facility is located on 6,400 acres in Sandusky, Ohio, and is home to some of the world's most powerful and capable space simulation chambers that support NASA's Artemis program and commercial spaceflight testing.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46822 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Neil Armstrong did not want NASA's Plum Brook Station to be named after him.
The first person to walk on the moon politely declined the honor when asked, but on Wednesday (Aug. 11), nine years after Armstrong died and a week after what would have been his 91st birthday, a group of NASA officials and members of Congress presided over a small ceremony in Sandusky, Ohio, to do just that. Plum Brook Station is now the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.
David C Member
Posts: 1285 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
posted 08-12-2021 10:44 AM
So it’s done, hopefully that’s it. Otherwise they may as well stop nibbling and just go ahead and re-name NASA the Neil Armstrong Space Agency.