Neil Armstrong Tribute

NASA Administrator Statement on Neil Armstrong's Death: 

WASHINGTON -- The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the death of former test pilot and NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong. He was 82.

"On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences to Carol and the rest of the Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own.

"Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation.

"As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."

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Atlantis - The Final Space Shuttle Mission

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Dream Chaser Flight Test Success

Dream Chaser flight vehicle is lifted by an Erickson Air-Crane
helicopter on May 29 2012 during a captive-carry test.
(Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corporation)

The Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems' Dream Chaser design successfully completed one of its most significant tests to date near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, Colorado on May 29th 2012. The Dream Chaser is designed to carry up to seven astronauts into space and is designed to land on a conventional runway.

A full size flight vehicle of the Dream Chaser spacecraft was lifted by an Erickson Air-Crane helicopter to assess aerodynamic flight performance. This 'captive-carry' marks the completion of a key milestone for the Dream Chaser. Ed Mango, the CCP Program Manager said "This is a very positive success for the Dream Chaser team and their innovative approach. I applaud and encourage the designers and engineers to continue their efforts in meeting the objectives of the rest of their CCDev2 milestones."

Another recent milestone included an evaluation of the separation system of Dream Chaser from its launch vehicle, the Atlas V rocket, which would release the spacecraft from the rocket’s second stage after it has placed the spacecraft into low Earth orbit.