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These are just a few of
the words that describe Senator

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William Thad Cochran,

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the Pontotoc, Mississippi native
who exemplified

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a life of service
to family, state and country.

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Senator Cochran served three
terms in the United States House

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of Representatives and seven
in the United States Senate.

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His 45 years of combined service
makes him one of the longest

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serving members of Congress
in American history.

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Distinguished by his diplomacy
and tact

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in the halls of government,

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Senator Cochran
was widely respected and admired

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by colleagues
on both sides of the aisle.

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His steadfast resolve

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and diligence in fostering
Senate bipartisanship

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led to Cochran being dubbed
“the Quiet Persuader”

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by Time magazine in 2006.

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Throughout his storied career,
Senator Cochran worked

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tirelessly to foster
Mississippi's economic growth

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and served as a strong advocate
for the Gulf Coast region.

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As chair of the Senate Committee
on Appropriations

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when Hurricane
Katrina hit in 2005,

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Senator Cochran led and Gulf
Coast recovery and rebuilding

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efforts, securing

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$29 billion in immediate relief
funds for the region,

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including $5 billion
for the state of Mississippi

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to provide grants to homeowners
to repair, replace

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or elevate their homes.

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In the words of Jackson's Daily
newspaper, The Clarion Ledger,

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the federal relief
he helped secure is credited

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with preventing

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financial and social ruin
in Mississippi and Louisiana

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after the hurricane's
destruction.

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Senator Cochran
also provided unwavering support

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to NASA's Kennedy Space Center
and to NASA's missions

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in advancing the frontier
of American spaceflight.

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In 2011,

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Senator Cochran was among
the national, state

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and local leaders who helped
facilitate the transfer of 1.6

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million square feet of facility
space from the U.S.

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Army to the Stennis
Space Center,

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expanding available
on site space by about 33%.

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The transfer paved the
way for years of future growth,

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setting the stage for the center

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to attract new commercial
tenants supporting NASA's work,

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and to provide continued support
for existing

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government partners.

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The following
year, in April 2012,

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Senator Cochran helped shine
the public spotlight

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on the opening of the $30
million Infinity Science Center,

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the official visitor center
for Stennis, that has inspired

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thousands of children

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and young adults to embrace
America's space dreams

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and to explore the fields
of science, technology,

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engineering and mathematics.

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Also in 2012, Senator Cochran
supported NASA's request

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for funding to rehabilitate
the B-2 Test stand to support

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testing of NASA's new space
launch system,

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or SLS rocket.

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Having tested
rocket stages and systems

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during the Apollo and space
shuttle eras,

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the stand underwent
significant modifications

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and upgrades to accommodate
the 212-foot SLS

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core stage equipped with four RS
25 engines capable

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of generating 1.6 million pounds
of combined thrust at launch.

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One of
the most prominent changes

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to the B-2 test stand included
adding a steel superstructure

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that extended the height
from 290 feet to about 350 feet,

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making it one of the tallest
structures in Mississippi.

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The main derrick crane atop

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the test stand was also extended
by 50 feet and received

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an increased load rating of 195
tons to safely lift

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the core stage.

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Senator Cochran also supported
Stennis Space Center's effort

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to showcase and expand
commercial propulsion testing

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business on site.

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In April 2014,

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the Senator proudly

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joined Stennis leaders
and other elected officials

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in welcoming SpaceX on site
as the company began testing

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components of its methane fueled
raptor engine on the E-2

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Test stand.

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On May

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30th, 2019, Senator
Thad Cochran or “Gentleman Thad”,

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as some of his colleagues
called him, passed away

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peacefully at the age
of 81 in Oxford, Mississippi.

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While we mourn
the loss of the late senator,

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we also recognize and celebrate
the indelible mark

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he left on Stennis Space Center.

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On March 18th, 2021,

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one year and nine months
following the Senator's passing,

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the SLS core stage
for the Artemis I mission

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underwent a full duration
hot fire for 8 minutes

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and 19 seconds on the renovated
B-2 test stand.

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This historic achievement
would not have been possible

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without Senator Cochran's
steadfast support

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for the Stennis Space Center

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and NASA's mission to return
American astronauts to the moon

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in preparation
for eventual missions to Mars.

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As the moon bound space
launch system lifts off

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the pad at Kennedy Space Center
and our eyes turn skyward,

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we will be reminded of Senator
Cochran's enduring legacy

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as a champion not only
for the people of Mississippi,

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but for all Americans
who dream of exploring

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the cosmic horizon and advancing
humanity's shared knowledge.

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The Stennis Space Center family
is eternally grateful

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for the life
and legacy of Senator Cochran.

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Today, we are proud
to memorialize the late Senator

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by affixing his name
to the historic B-2 test stand.

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It is our great honor
to announce that the B-2 test

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stand shall hereafter be known
as the Thad Cochran Test Stand.