Crews from the station were the first responders to the scene of the accident, in which at least five other people were injured.

Major Gen. James Myles, chief of the Army Aviation Missile Life-Cyle Management Command, Marshall Center Director Dave King and Mrs. Kelly Spurlock are expected to speak at the ceremony set for 10 a.m. Thursday.

"This dedication ceremony is the commemoration of the building and the celebration of the life of a Redstone Arsenal employee and friend," according to the announcement from Redstone officials.

Spurlock was 39 and just a few weeks into his NASA career at the time of his death. He was an engineer in the Stage Design & Integration Branch of the Marshall Engineering Directorate’s Spacecraft & Vehicle Systems Department.

He had worked in space exploration as a contractor for more than a dozen years and came to the Marshall Center from Boeing in Huntsville, where he was part of the systems engineering and integration team for the Ares Upper Stage Production.

Posted by al.com October 15, 2008 12:48 PM