Jeff Chenevey

Jeff Chenevey of Accenture was the first guest speaker. Here are his remarks:

Thanks, Larry. It's a pleasure to be here representing Accenture today. It is certainly our honor to sponsor today's event and pay tribute to the men and women of NASA.

Like you, I can't wait to see the rocket start rolling, slowly but surely, into its new home today.

My family and I came here three years ago in a move that seems pretty small compared to what we're about to see today, but we truly enjoy living here and being part of this vibrant and active community. In fact, my two oldest boys just finished Space Camp last week on this location, and so my commitment to the future of space travel is growing stronger every day.

By working so closely with NASA, I've come to appreciate the pride and commitment that goes into their work. I see that same level of pride and commitment in the work that's been done over the past six years that NASA and Accenture have been working together. Our contribution here is very down-to-earth: We work with NASA to help its administrative systems perform more efficiently. While that doesn't necessarily put people on the moon, it certainly does help NASA run more smoothly as a business. More importantly, while we focus on the business side, it allows more people at NASA to focus all their attention on the key mission, to further America's vast lead in space.

I was only a child when a Saturn V like this one first sent men to the moon. I don't remember first-hand the drama and excitement of those days, but I certainly do appreciate and honor with you today the success this rocket represents and the achievement of the people who built and tested it.

From a standpoint of engineering, performance, and reliability, the Saturn V is an American masterpiece. So Accenture salutes you for the work you've done and continue to do for our country. We hope future visitors will see the Saturn V as a major contributor to Huntsville's great legacy, not just to the space program, but to the government and businesses that made it a success, a system that had to work perfectly every time, and did.

Thank you very much.

Larry Capps then introduced the next speaker:

Thank you Jeff. We appreciate you and your team being here today and thanks again to Accenture.

Since the beginning of time, men and women have looked at the moon and dreamed of going there, landing there, and exploring there. The United States did, thanks to the rocket designed and tested here in Huntsville, Alabama. The Saturn V rocket launched Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin on their historic mission to the moon and to the lunar landing on July 20, 1969.

During a seven year period, thirteen Saturn V vehicles were launched, performing successfully in all missions. Today, our Saturn V, the one behind me, is not just a historic landmark, but is also being used as a reference point as the United States focuses on future missions to the moon and Mars. In recent months, those engineers working on the design of the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the rockets that will power the return to the moon, those engineers have visited the Space and Rocket Center to inspect materials and the configuration of the very first moon rocket.

We are delighted that the Saturn V, 500-D/F, the test rocket and pathfinder for the program has been preserved and will soon be completely restored. The Davidson Saturn V Center will be attached to a Federal Transit Administration building and together the two buildings form a $22 million project that will become the new front door for the US Space & Rocket Center.

This complex will not only highlight Huntsville's achievement with the Saturn/Apollo program, but will also be a realtime showcase for the Constellation Program, particularly the Ares launch vehicles.

The preservation and recaptured spirit of Huntsville's aerospace roots will forever be displayed for the rest of the world and future generations to behold as NASA's next generation of space exploration continues on a path back to the moon and on to Mars.

At this time I'd like to thank NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for their tireless assistance with the Saturn V restoration project and for Marshall's help in coordinating the Saturn V move. Nearly 300 tons of history is about to begin a historic movement. And it's not as easy as it might look [laughter].

Many of you sitting in the audience today are rocket boys and girls who designed, developed, tested, and built the world's first Saturn V. Your legacy continues in a new generation of rocketeers who are working today at NASA.

It is now my pleasure to introduce an Alabama rocket boy who was named Deputy Director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in May 2007. A Montevallo, Alabama native, Robert Lightfoot received a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Alabama and began his career at the Marshall Space Flight Center as a test engineer and program manager for the space shuttle main engine program as a technology testbed and the Russian RD-180 engine testing program for the Atlas launch vehicle program.

He was later named deputy division chief of Marshall's Propulsion Test Division. At NASA's Stennis Space Center, he served as Chief of Propulsion, Test Operations, and was later named Director of the Stennis Propulsion Test Directorate.

In Washington DC Mr. Lightfoot served as Assistant Associate Administrator for the space shuttle program in the Office of Space Operations.

He came back to Alabama in 2005, serving as manager of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office at Marshall. He and his wife, Catherine, have two children and currently live in Huntsville.

Ladies and gentleman, I am honored to present to you Robert Lightfoot.