Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Glenn Research Center

Materials Science

NASA Centers & Facilities

Space Technology Mission Directorate

New Material Could Help NASA Melt Moon Rocks, Harness Lunar Resources

A material recently discovered and tested at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland could help astronauts pack lighter for future missions to the Moon.

Posted May 22, 2026

Aeronautics

Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI)

CoECI News

Langley Research Center

Prizes, Challenges, & Crowdsourcing News

Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program

University Innovation

NASA Announces Winners in University Aeronautics Competition

A South Dakota State University team took first place at NASA’s fifth annual Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, which challenged student teams to address a critical element of U.S. aviation: aircraft maintenance.

Posted May 20, 2026

Air Traffic Management and Safety

Airspace Operations and Safety Program

NASA Explores Prioritizing First Response Drones in Crowded Skies

Our streets are crowded with commuters and delivery vehicles, but when a police car or fire engine approaches with its lights and sirens on, drivers clear the way. In the coming years, drones for deliveries and other commercial tasks will become common in the skies over our communities, and NASA is working to ensure first […]

Posted April 30, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Commercial Supersonic Technology

High-Speed Flight

Low Boom Flight Demonstrator

Quesst (X-59)

Quesst: The Vehicle

Supersonic Flight

There’s No Place Like NASA’s New X-59 Hangar Home

There’s no sign reading “home sweet home” in the hangar where the X‑59 now sits, but the sentiment is unmistakable among those tending to the quiet supersonic aircraft. Located at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the X-59 hangar was built in 1968 but looks like new thanks to a full renovation and […]

Posted April 28, 2026

Aeronautics

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

General

High-Speed Flight

High-Tech Computing

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools

Transformational Tools Technologies

NASA Releases Powerful LAVA Software to US Aerospace Industry

For years, NASA engineers have turned to a tool called the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) framework to solve airflow challenges that could mean the difference between mission success or failure.

Posted April 23, 2026

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

Prizes, Challenges, & Crowdsourcing News

Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program

Space Technology Mission Directorate

University Innovation

NASA Selects Finalists in Student Aircraft Maintenance Competition

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated on March 24, 2026, to update the finalists list. NASA has selected seven student teams as finalists in the 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, giving them the resources to help address a critical challenge for U.S.

Posted March 24, 2026

Aeronautics

Artemis 2

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

Flight Innovation

Space Launch System (SLS)

Transformational Tools Technologies

NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment

Airflow around rockets as they travel from Earth into space can have a dramatic impact on a mission, which is why NASA used advanced simulations to provide the best possible launch conditions for the Artemis II test flight around the Moon. To better understand the Artemis Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s flight environment, engineers turned to a

Posted March 20, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Aeronautics Technology

Commercial Supersonic Technology

Glenn Research Center

High-Speed Flight

Integrated Aviation Systems Program

Langley Research Center

Low Boom Flight Demonstrator

NASA Aircraft

Quesst (X-59)

Quesst: The Vehicle

Supersonic Flight

NASA’s X-59 Prepares for Second Flight

NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft is preparing for its second flight, a step that will set the pace for more flight testing in 2026. Over the coming months, NASA will take the quiet supersonic jet faster and higher, while validating safety and performance, a process known as envelope expansion. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less will be at the X-59’

Posted March 17, 2026

Quesst (X-59)

Aeronautics

Aeronautics Research