March 14, 2011

Brown, Turner Lead Members of Ohio Delegation in Letter Urging President Obama to Land Shuttle in Dayton

Brown, Turner Lead Call to Transfer Retired Shuttle to National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (OH-3) today led a letter with other members of the Ohio Congressional delegation to President Obama urging him to continue to lay the groundwork for the assignment of a retired Space Shuttle at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (NMUSAF) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton.

“Ohio, the birthplace of aviation, has a proud, century-long history of aviation pioneering and human spaceflight development. The Air Force has played a central role in the development of space capabilities as a full partner with NASA in human spaceflight, from its orgins in the Mercury program to today,” the letter said. “Displaying the Atlantis at the NMUSAF would underscore the Department’s important contributions to our national security through human spaceflight. There is no better place to tell that story than in the Defense Department’s largest and most popular museum.”

NASA is retiring its Space Shuttle program—established in the 1970s— and will locate two of the three remaining operating Shuttles in museums around the U.S. The NASA Authorization Act names selection criteria for the museums to receive a retired Space Shuttle for exhibition.

President Obama’s FY2012 Budget Request included funding to prepare the NMUSAF for preservation and display of the retired NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis. The letter asks President Obama for continued support. Brown and Turner have led the fight to land the Shuttle in Dayton. In February they led the Ohio Congressional delegation in urging NASA Administrator Major Gen Charles F Bolden, USMC (Ret.) to locate a retired Shuttle National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Full text of the letter is below.

March 14, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama

President, United States of America

The White House

Washington, DC 20501

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to thank you for your continued support for an interagency transfer of a retired National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Shuttle orbiter for preservation and display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) in Ohio. We were pleased to see funds allocated in your FY12 Budget Request that would prepare the NMUSAF for preservation and display of the retired NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis. We wish to express our support for the transfer of the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the NMUSAF by emphasizing the mutual advantages for NASA, the Air Force, and the American people.

A key benefit of placing the Atlantis at the NMUSAF, near the historic home and workplace of the Wright Brothers, is that it will highlight important national aerospace heritage. Ohio, the birthplace of aviation, has a proud, century-long history of aviation pioneering and human spaceflight development. The Air Force has played a central role in the development of space capabilities as a full partner with NASA in human spaceflight, from its orgins in the Mercury program to today. The Air Force has also contributed more than $8 billion in research and development, operations and maintenance, procurement, and construction funding in support of the Shuttle program. The Department of Defense has sponsored numerous Shuttle missions, five of which were on Atlantis. Displaying the Atlantis at the NMUSAF would underscore the Department’s important contributions to our national security through human spaceflight. There is no better place to tell that story than in the Defense Department’s largest and most popular museum.

Public visibility and accessibility are key benefits to placing Atlantis at the Air Force’s national museum. The NMUSAF, located on historic Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is a cross roads of Middle America. Within a day’s drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population, the Museum hosts 1.3 million visitors annually. The NMUSAF, which is the world’s oldest and largest aviation museum, provides a premier venue to showcase the Orbiter. Its ample free parking and free admission make it easily accessible to all.

Of particular note, the Museum has adopted a mission to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and has committed to an intensive STEM education program, not only in connection with the space shuttle, but with all its educational programming. The Ohio Department of Education, a national leader in STEM education, intends to use the shuttle at the Museum for maximum educational benefits throughout the state, especially in lessons directly aligned with STEM.

Moreover, the NMUSAF will use Atlantis not only for educational purposes, but in fulfilling its central mission to preserve and present the Air Force story, and to archive aerospace defense technology. The Museum has the world’s best aviation preservationists. No other museum in the world can bring to bear the level of knowledge and resources needed to preserve an orbiter. Thus, by keeping the shuttle in the Air Force and the federal government, a shuttle located at NMUSAF will continue to provide taxpayer benefits.

We again thank you for your support of preparations to place a Space Shuttle Orbiter under Air Force stewardship at the NMUSAF and we’ll be glad to have your continued support in the future. We all look forward to Ohio becoming the home for this national treasure and being able to aid in sharing an important chapter in space history for all Americans.

Sincerely,

_____________________ _____________________

Sherrod Brown Rob Portman

United States Senator United States Senator

_____________________ _____________________

Michael R. Turner Steve Austria