Flight Innovation

On Sept. 30, 1946, five National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (NACA) engineers arrived at Muroc Army Airfield in California’s high desert to achieve supersonic flight for the first time. In less than two years, NACA flew the X-1 aircraft faster than the speed of sound, marking an important milestone in aviation history. Fast forward 80 […]

Posted September 28, 2026

People of Armstrong

Aeronautics

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Flight Innovation

People of NASA

Passion Meets Precision at NASA’s Flight Research Lab

Long before they helped shape NASA’s future aerospace breakthroughs, Derek Abramson, Justin Hall, and Justin Link were in their garages and homes building radio‑controlled aircraft, testing new ideas, and flying their creations at hobby events.

Posted September 17, 2026

Aeronautics

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Flight Innovation

Research and Technology Mission Directorate

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program

University Innovation

University Leadership Initiative

University Student Research Challenge

NASA Selects University Teams to Help Advance Aviation Research

NASA has selected four university teams to help the agency transform the future of aviation through projects ranging from high-supersonic propulsion systems to low-noise routes for small aircraft flying through cities.

Posted August 20, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

NASA Uses Subscale Aircraft to Accelerate Flight Innovation

Testing new aerospace concepts in flight remains one of NASA’s most effective ways to advance knowledge and reduce risk.

Posted July 16, 2026

Aeronautics

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Flight Innovation

NASA Aircraft

NASA Jets Turn Red, White, and Blue

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, two of NASA’s most iconic aircraft got a fresh coat of red, white, and blue paint ahead of a flyover in Washington on July 4, 2026, with other NASA aircraft. An F-15 and an F/A-18 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, recently were repainted in […]

Posted July 14, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Drones & You

Flight Innovation

NASA Study Points to Smoother Air Taxi Rides

No one wants to get into an uncomfortable aircraft. NASA research could help the emerging industry of air taxis —small, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft meant for short trips — understand the relationship between comfort and willingness to fly. That’s where NASA comes in, with data that can help identify how to plan air taxi rides that can […]

Posted July 14, 2026

Aeronautics

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Flight Innovation

NASA Aircraft

NASA Photographer Captures Images from F-18 Over Washington

NASA flight photographers capture history from a perspective few ever experience, getting a rare bird’s-eye view of the agency’s missions in action. Their photos document key NASA research and give the public a front-row seat to the work happening behind the scenes.

Posted July 10, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

NASA Aircraft

Supersonic Flight

A Day of Flight Testing at NASA Armstrong

Flight testing is a team sport. For nearly 80 years, teams at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, have used flight testing to push the limits of aerodynamics and advance aviation.

Posted June 30, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

NASA Aircraft

Supersonic Flight

This is How NASA Flight Tests New Technology

Flight tests are a big part of how NASA turns breakthrough ideas into reality. From flying humans faster than the speed of sound to proving designs that helped shape the space shuttle, flight testing transforms bold concepts into safer, more efficient technologies that benefit the public. “Flight tests are a way to safely and effectively […]

Posted June 23, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

NASA Aircraft

Science in the Air

Supersonic Flight

Keeping NASA Flying: Ground Crews Ensure Aircraft Readiness

From high‑speed research flights to high‑altitude science campaigns, NASA depends on aircraft that perform at their best and the ground crews who keep them mission ready. At NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, specially trained maintenance crews are essential to keeping the agency’s aircraft flying safely and reliably.

Posted May 22, 2026