Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

NASA Upgrades Vertical Motion Simulator for Modern Mission Needs

Imagine stepping into a machine that can make you feel like you’re flying a spacecraft, piloting a next generation air taxi, or landing on the Moon, all without leaving the ground. NASA’s Vertical Motion Simulator, the largest of its kind in the world, does exactly that. And now, with new upgrades, it’s more powerful and […]

Posted August 12, 2026

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Ames Research Center

Research and Technology Mission Directorate

Small Spacecraft Technology Program

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Technology

NASA Announces New Spacecraft Technology Demonstration Mission at Moon

NASA is working with industry to advance the next phase of cislunar infrastructure for the agency’s Artemis program and Moon Base, including orbital assets and demonstrations.

Posted July 24, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Aeronautics

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Langley Research Center

Subsonic Flight Demonstrator

Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools

NASA Pushes New Wing Design to Find Structural Limits

NASA researchers recently put a new wing design, appearing long and thin with a lightweight structural design, through a series of grueling tests to find its structural limits. What they found left them encouraged about the wing’s potential, even when they pushed it past its intended limits.

Posted July 18, 2026

Aeronautics

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

For Colleges & Universities

Learning Resources

Research and Technology Mission Directorate

ARMD Research Solicitations (Updated June 23)

THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2026 This Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) solicitations page compiles the opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems.

Posted June 23, 2026

General

Aeronautics Research

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

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI)

CoECI News

Langley Research Center

Prizes, Challenges, & Crowdsourcing News

Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts 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

Ames Research Center

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

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

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

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

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Ames Research Center

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

General

High-Speed Flight

High-Tech Computing

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools

Transformational Tools Technologies

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program

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

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Flight Innovation

Prizes, Challenges, & Crowdsourcing News

Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program

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