NASA Administrator Charles Bolden met Jan. 20 with U.S. lawmakers from Ohio who urged him to support two NASA facilities in their state: Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Plum Brook Station in Sandusky.
The meeting included U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and other members of Ohio’s congressional delegation.
“With NASA set to make some difficult decisions about its future, the delegation felt it was very important to show a unified front for Ohio and the jobs directly and indirectly created by NASA Glenn,” Voinovich said in a press release. “I look forward to working with the rest of the delegation, [Ohio] Governor [Ted] Strickland, Administrator Bolden and other NASA officials as we move forward through the process.”
Glenn Research Center specializes in microgravity science, in-space propulsion and aero-propulsion. Under former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, the field center was assigned work in support of Constellation, the agency’s effort to built rockets and spacecraft optimized for carrying astronauts and their gear to the Moon. Last October’s Ares 1-X test flight included a dummy upper stage built at Glenn. Plum Brook Station, which is overseen by Glenn, is home to several unique test facilities, including the world’s largest thermal vacuum chamber.
Voinovich said Bolden “clearly understood” Glenn’s importance “as an economic catalyst for the state.”
NASA economic impact on the state exceeds $1.2 billion, according to Voinovich’s office.