Moonbase Armstrong?

The NASA authorization bill currently working its way through Congress carries a section mandating the first U. S. manned lunar outpost be named after Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon. It's an interesting proposal, though Armstrong himself, who has shunned the spotlight since the flight of Apollo 11, may or may not be thrilled with it. Presumably, the point of naming the base now, even though it won't exist for a decade or more, is to give the base an identity and a kind of reality that will make it harder to kill, as opposed to simply any old lunar base program.

Armstrong is a fine name for a U. S. base, but if the program is eventually pursued as part of an international lunar exploration program, other countries will have a say in the name. Armstrong may still work, however. Much of the world watched live as Armstrong took his first step into the lunar dust. For a few minutes, the whole of humanuty was likely as united as its been since groups of humans wandered out of Africa and began settling a planet. Armstrong himself has steered clear of politics throughout his career, so he may not be particularly linked to unpopular U. S. policies. Once again, the quiet Midwesterner may be the ideal choice.