LOS ANGELES (AP) Neil Armstrong's name is attached to a lunar crater, an asteroid, more than a dozen schools and a museum, but not a single NASA facility is christened in honor of the man whose \"giant leap\" made him the first to walk on the moon. <\/p>\n
All that could soon change on the fringes of the Mojave Desert, where leaders at the space agency's top flight research center are mulling the consequences of a proposed name change at the place where Armstrong was a test pilot. <\/p>\n
The push by some in Congress to strike the name of former NASA executive Hugh Dryden from the facility has brought with it some questions: Is it justified to substitute one accomplished figure for another? At a time of squeezed budgets, is it worth the cost? And, besides: How long before the next space hotshot upends the world's first moonwalker? <\/p>\n
Managers at the Dryden Flight Research Center have no say in what they're called final approval rests with the U.S. House and Senate and so they have left the soul-searching to others. <\/p>\n
\"I'm happy with the name Dryden Flight Research Center, but I'll be equally happy with Armstrong,\" center Director David McBride said. \"Both men were leaders in the field.\" <\/p>\n
Though not a done deal, brainstorming is already underway: Welcome signs bearing the Dryden logo would have to be updated. Research aircraft would need their sides repainted. Letterhead and pamphlets would have to be recycled. And then there's the obligatory dedication ceremony. <\/p>\n
Dryden officials have not calculated a total makeover cost but don't foresee extra funds, meaning they would have to work within their $65 million operating budget to pay for the changes. <\/p>\n
It wouldn't be the first rebranding of a NASA facility. <\/p>\n
In 1999, the Lewis Research Center in Ohio named for George Lewis, the first executive officer of NASA's predecessor agency was changed to the John H. Glenn Research Center, after the first American to orbit Earth and former senator. A daylong celebration was held, complete with an F-16 flyover and a parade filled with floats, marching bands and a cameo appearance by Glenn. <\/p>\n
Any festivities marking a Dryden-to-Armstrong swap would likely be more muted to save money. <\/p>\n
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'One giant leap' toward a NASA Armstrong center?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LOS ANGELES (AP) Neil Armstrong's name is attached to a lunar crater, an asteroid, more than a dozen schools and a museum, but not a single NASA facility is christened in honor of the man whose \"giant leap\" made him the first to walk on the moon. All that could soon change on the fringes of the Mojave Desert, where leaders at the space agency's top flight research center are mulling the consequences of a proposed name change at the place where Armstrong was a test pilot. The push by some in Congress to strike the name of former NASA executive Hugh Dryden from the facility has brought with it some questions: Is it justified to substitute one accomplished figure for another? Continue reading