Source: United States Senator for Ohio Rob Portman
Portman Spearheaded Bipartisan Legislation to Rename Facility After American Icon
August 11, 2021 | Press Releases
SANDUSKY OH – Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) delivered remarks at the renaming ceremony of NASA’s Plum Brook Station to the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. The Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility, located on 6,400 acres in the Lake Erie community of Sandusky, is home to four world-class test facilities, which perform complex and innovative ground tests for the international space community. Neil Armstrong began his NASA career at the test facility before becoming the first human to step on the surface of the moon, inspiring generations of Americans to push the boundaries of space exploration.
“From his service as a Navy fighter pilot, to his courageous experiments as a test pilot, to his space exploration and first steps on the surface of the Moon, Neil Armstrong left an indelible mark in mankind’s history of flight. He considered himself first and foremost a test pilot who pushed the boundaries of what was possible in the air and in space,” said Senator Portman. “I was honored to participate in today’s renaming ceremony – a fitting tribute for a humble and patriotic Ohioan who continues to inspire generations of Americans through his amazing accomplishments in air and space.”
Following the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Portman and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) led the effort to rename the test facility, introducing legislation in 2019 that passed the Senate and House and was signed into law in December of last year. Prior to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Portman paid tribute to his friend, Ohio-native Neil Armstrong in a video, as well as on the Senate floor. In August of 2019, Portman accompanied NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a visit to NASA’s Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland and Plum Brook Station in Sandusky to view progress on the agency’s Artemis Program – its multi-year plan to return American astronauts to the Moon and eventually send manned missions to Mars.
Photos from the event are below:
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