NASA, Armstrong to Brief Media on Agency and Center FY17 Budgets

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will discuss the agency’s Fiscal-Year 2017 budget proposal during a media briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 9 beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST (10:30 a.m. PST)

Members of the media are invited to briefings and tours of aircraft to learn about NASA’s upcoming research. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will present a “State of NASA” address and discuss the agency’s scientific and technological achievements as well as its exciting exploration work.

Armstrong Center Director David McBride will brief highlights on recent center accomplishments and talk about the center’s future work in aeronautics and space technology development.

After McBride’s briefing, media will have a chance to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the center’s Flight Loads Laboratory where engineers will be available to discuss their work in cutting-edge technologies under development at Armstrong:

· SCEPTOR – electric propulsion aircraft
· FOSS, fiber optic sensing system
· PTERA and Shape Memory Alloy
· PRANDTL aircraft without rudders
· Traveler – autonomous drone flight
· X-56A – Multi-Use Technology Testbed or MUTT

A second tour will include an aircraft hangar featuring Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge or ACTE –flexible wing flap and the agency’s remotely piloted Ikhana Predator B.

Media representatives planning to participate should contact Leslie Williams in the center’s public affairs office at 661-276-3893, or email Leslie.a.williams@nasa.gov, by 3 p.m. on February 5 to provide credential information.

For more information about the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Education Office, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong

The NASA budget and supporting information will be available online at 9 a.m. PST / 12 p.m. EST Tuesday, at:
http://www.nasa.gov/budget