Were deeply honored to have Vice President pence with us this morning as we unveil Neil Armstrongs recently conserved apollo 11 spacesuit. Also with us is Jim Bridenstine who leads nasa, the organization whose achievements we celebrate. Im so happy that Rick Armstrong could join us to represent the family, along with his family, of the inspiring American Hero who took humanitys first steps on the moon. Thank you for being here, rick. [ applause ] during our yearlong celebration, weve highlighted the team that made apollo possible. It took 400,000 americans doing every conceivable job to make it happen. That included the engineers, the material experts, the medical experts, and the amazing seamstresses who handmade the spacesuit that we are unveiling this morning. It took another large team to conserve the suit so we could once again share it with the world after 13 years off exhibit. That Team Included our space suit historians, conservators and collections and exhibits experts but their work was only possible thanks to the thousands of individuals who contributed to our reboot the suit Kickstarter Campaign. Thank you to all of those people who did their part to preserve this vital piece of space history. The complexity of the suit ensured it could support human life in the harshest of environments, extreme heat and cold, radiation, micrometeorites had to be taken into consideration. These spacesuit were singleperson spacecraft, but while they were designed to endure the punishment of a lunar walk, they werent designed to last a half citye century on display. Were happy the work weve done will ensure generations to come can be inspired by it. And equally as important, we want to inspire visitors through the stories of men and women who have worn all the space suits in our collection. Neil armstrongs commitment to the mission, his tenacity, perseverance, calm demeanor is what you wanted in someone piloting an odd looking craft, loot like the one behind me, to the surface of the moon for the first time. His humility about the accomplishment was reflected on the plaque on the lunar module which read, we came in peace for all mankind perform all three apollo 11 astronauts understood the importance of the journey they were embarking on and the significance that would surround the items from the mission. This is clear in the design of the mission patch, which was led by the crew. They decided against adding their names as prior missions had done as command module pilot Michael Collins, who designed the final patch explained, it was in recognition of the teamwork behind apollo. I cant wait to share the aweinspiring teamwork that is neils suit with our visitors and i hope people will join us this week in the museum and on the mall as we come together to celebrate the honor of the legacy of apollo and look to the great achievements to come. It is now my pleasure to introduce the person tasked with making those next steps in Space Exploration a reality. Please welcome me in welcoming nasa administrator, jim bri bridenstine. Jim. Well, this is a great day for nasa. And its a great day for america. Im immensely grateful to ellen stofan, the national air and space board and the thousands of public contributors who graciously donated to help preserve Neil Armstrongs apollo 11 spacesuit for generations to come. It is also an honor to have us with neils oldest son, Rick Armstrong. Commander Neil Armstrongs name is synonymous with undaunted coura courage, the american spirit of exploration and the evidence that humanitys potential is limitless. 50 years ago this week armstrong, buzz aldrin and Michael Collins hurdled through the unforgiving blackness of space, aiming at the moon, not on a mission of conquest, but a mission of peace. Their success expanded humanitys understanding of our celestial neighbor and, most importantly, it taught us something about ourselves. That together we can accomplish any goal and overcome any difficulty. Among armstrongs personal effects aboard apollo 11 were pieces of the write brothers flyer, the wooden aircraft that succeeded in making humanitys first powered flight some 66 years earlier. Paying homage to this other set of pioneers, armstrong demonstrated a profound truth that we must continue to remember even today. He understood humanitys rise from the ground to the sky to space and onto the moon was not by chance. It was, in fact, by choice. A choice to boldly push the limits of science and technology, a choice to further discover the almightys creations and use our newfound knowledge to elevate the human condition. Ultimately, armstrong knew Space Exploration was a matter of choosing greatness every day, no matter the risk, no matter the danger. The 1960s had leaders in the white house whose vision of american Space Exploration enabled the success of the apollo program. Likewise today, our nation is fortunate to once again have leaders who are challenging the United States of america to live up to its True Potential as the worlds preeminent spacefaring nation. President trump and Vice President pence have given us bold direction to return sustainably to the moon by 2024 and then onto mars. And we are getting it done. I want to be clear. We are getting it done. It is my honor to introduce today the Vice President of the United States and the chairman of the National Space council, Vice President mike pence. [ applause ] thank you, administrator Jim Bridenstine, to all of our honored guests, to our host, ellen stofan. Thank you for your greater leadership here at the national air and space museum. Especially its a particular honor to begin this week remembering the mission of apollo 11 that started 50 years ago today with Rick Armstrong, with mary and with ricks oldest son, bryce armstrong. Would you we wijoin me in welco the Armstrong Family and friends. Thank you for being with us. It is an honor to be here at the national and air and space museum to unveil one of the artifacts that president kennedy called the most hazardous, greatest adventure upon which mankind has ever embarked. On this day 50 years ago, apollo 11 launched from pad 39a at the Kennedy Space center to begin its Historic Quarter million mile journey to the moon. Just three days later, Mission CommanderNeil Armstrong would wear the spacesuit that we will unveil in just a few moments when he took that one giant leap for mankind. When president kennedy declared in 1961 that the United States would put a man on the moon before the decade was out, it is important to remember in our time that he issued a challenge before our country was able to meet it. The truth is, we didnt have the rockets, we didnt have launch pads, we didnt have space suits. We not only didnt have what we needed, we didnt know what we needed. The risks were great. The odds were long. And they were so long that some even feared that if we could make it to the moon, we might not be able to make it back. It took engineers, manufacturers and technicians more than ten years to design the 21 layers of fabric, rubber, metal and fiberglass that had just encased in this spacesuit that you will see unveiled today. But i expect it is moving for his family and every american to remember the dangers and the risks at the time that this spacesuit simply may have been the very last thing that Neil Armstrong ever wore. In fact, there was a time, and during that time that scientists speculated whether when a lunar module like this one behind me when it landed on the moon, whether it would be able to lift off again. The risks were so real that history records that president nixon had a speech prepared prior to the landing in the event that the mission failed. Of course, it didnt fail. With 400,000 men and women behind the mission of nasa, with the hearts and prayers of the American People, how could it fail . Instead, the president said to neil and buzz, shortly after they were saluting an American Flag plant on the surface of the moon, if these words he spoke, for every american this is the proudest day of our lives. He said to them from the earth to the moon, because of what youve done, they have become part of mans world and for one priceless moment, the history of man, all people on earth are truly one. One in their pride for what youve done, and one in our prayers you return safely to the earth. I remember that day. And as i speak to americans younger than me, it is i feel even more privileged to have been sitting in the basement of our home as those snowy images came back, the black and white images of that incredible moment. Stamped an indelible mark on my life, on my imagination, and, frankly, on the imagination of my generation and every generation since. It was a contribution to the life of this nation, to the history of the world. Its almost incalcuable. At that moment the nation held its breath, the nation that had been deeply divided during the tumultuous 1960s. So, as we think of this incredible scientific accomplishment, its also important for us to see in this spacesuit and in that moment also another contribution to the life of the nation. On top of the contributions to science and human understanding, for that brief moment, the man who wore this suit brought together our nation and the world. Now, true to their creed, astronauts have never liked being called heroes. And the man who wore this suit was especially resistant to such labels. But if Neil Armstrong was not a hero, then there are no heroes. He once described himself, in his words, quote, as he said, i am and ever will be a white sox, pocket protector, nerdy engineer. And i would also gradually he was a graduate of Perdue University in the state of indiana. Neil armstrong was reserved. As his family and i were just chatting, he was in some respects even shy. That was how it struck me on the few occasions i had the great privilege to speak with him. I just told rick that my young daughter, charlotte and i, had the privilege of watching one of of the last Space Shuttle launches with Neil Armstrong, and i was struck by his humility and modesty and how quickly he deferred whatever he had accomplished to the literally hundreds of thousands of men and women and engineers who made it possible for him to be there and to come home safe. But among his colleagues, its important to remember on this day, when we unveil this historic spacesuit, that Neil Armstrong was called the ice commander. Generations who enjoy this display, i think, would do well to remember the strength of character and courage of this man. Just months before apollo 11, armstrong lost control of an ungainly training designed to help astronauts train for the moon landing. And history records he ejected just three seconds before it crashed to the ground and exploded in a ball of fire. More remarkably than that, were told that armstrong just dusted himself off that day and spent the rest of the day behind his desk. His son, rick, just reminded me that he flew this x15 above us about seven different times. He was an extraordinary test pilot, a man of incredible courage, but his courage was displayed perhaps nowhere more profoundly than in the moments just before the apollo 11 lunar module landed on the surface of the moon. It was that coolness during the original landing that likely saved the lives of the two astronauts that were aboard the lunar module. When the original landing area turned out to be so full of large boulders that landing there would have doomed the mission and the crew, history records again that Neil Armstrong calmly took the control of the lunar module, skimmed across the top of the lunar surface and manually found a safe spot to touch down. By the time he sat down to what we all know to be tranquility base, armstrong and aldrin had 17 seconds of fuel left remaining. Its incredible. So, today we we remember the service and the accomplishments of apollo 11 and of its commander, neil am strormstrong. But we also do well to remember his courage and that steely professionalism that saw him through an entire career of incredible accomplishment and saw that mission to a safe landing and return home. The debt this nation owes to our apollo astronauts, including the man who wore the suit that we unveil today, we can never fully repay, but today is an installment, the American People have expressed their gratitude by preserving this symbol of courage. And im told when the Smithsonian Institution launched the Kickstarter Campaign to preserve this valuable piece of American History they raised 500,000 in five days to do it. And i also understand for those looking on that because of the success of this initiative, the reboot the Suit Campaign set an additional goal and now has raised more than 750,000 from people all over the country to preserve Alan Shepards space suit. The American People have made it possible for this National Treasure to go on display today for the first time in 13 years and now to be available in these storied halls for generations to come. So, as we begin today to mark the golden anniversary of apollo 11, we do well to remember what they left behind in its capacity to inspire future generations. But let me also say, as i told rick backstage, his dad would be pleased to know that in this generation we are renewing our commitment to American Leadership in space and American Leadership in human Space Exploration is also a tribute as well. Im also proud to say after it laid dormant for a quarter accept tri, President Trump revived the National Space council to it is now the policy of the United States of america to return to the moon within the next five years and from there onto mars. I have a feeling the man who wore the suit that we will unveil today would be glad to know that the first woman and the next man on the moon will also be an american. Apollo 11 is the only event of the 20th century that stands a chance of being widely remembered in the 30th century. Thats what makes a day like today so important. A thousand years from now, july 20, 1969, will likely be a date that will live on in the minds and imaginations of men and women here on earth, across our solar system, and beyond. And so its important that we do what we do today. That the generosity of americans, the professionalism of the smithsonian and the national air and space museum, the generosity of the Armstrong Family and their support makes it possible for this spacesuit to inspire literally generations of americans. And, perhaps, it also will inspire them to remember. Remember those men who took that most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure in their time. Its remarkable to think as we nerve of apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong, that maybe we do well this week to also remember a photograph, rick, of your dad. Shortly after he and buzz aldrin finished their moonwalk, theres that picture of Neil Armstrong dressed in that very space suit, covered with moon dust, sporting a threeday beard with a broad smile on his face, exuding the greatest and purest satisfaction. The ice commander shed his demeanor for a minute and expressed from his heart what people all over the world were feeling in that moment. So thank you, again, to the doctor and the great stewards here at the national air and space museum. Thank you for preserving this great National Treasure. May it inspire future heroes who walk these hallways in their youth. By god bless the memory of apollo 11 and may god continue to bless the United States of america, thank you all. [ applause ] if you want to turn around and grab the suit. Four, three, two, one. [ applause ] if you look on the suit, you see how its grimy looking, thats lunar dust. Its very glassy. Amazing. The last video on the flight, he made a special point to thank lots of people, as you said, it was all about all those people. Thank you very much for doing a great job with that suit. Thats amazing. Beautiful. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Appreciate all your efforts on behalf of the space community. Thanks for sharing your dad with the world. God bless you. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you for coming this morning. We appreciate it. American history tv is on social media. Follow us at cspanhistory. This is American History tv on cspan3 where each weekend we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nations past. Caroline fraser discusses the life and novels of Laura Ingalls wilder. She explains the differences between actual events in the authors life, the little house on the prairie books, and the television adaptation. The jefferson county, missouri, library hosted this event. Good evening, everybody. We are thrilled to see you here tonight. This is the third and final program in this series. Weve kept ms. Fraser very busy for the last two days and weve had wonderful crowds turn out each time. We sold out of the books. Its been really very satisfying and to have cspan here taping this to show on television is just icing on the cake. Its a wonderful thing to know that something so positive