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

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

NASA Aircraft

Meet the Fleet: NASA Armstrong Continues Legacy of Flight Research

NASA’s home for experimental flight is welcoming more flyers to its already high-performing fleet as it continues to support science and aeronautics test missions – continuing the legacy of pioneers like Neil Armstrong.

Posted May 8, 2026

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

University Student Research Challenge

Cornell Students Aid NASA with Drone Safety in Sky

A team of Cornell University students are turning heads within industry and the federal government with the results of their research into creating a national air transportation management system in which thousands of drones could safely operate together.

Posted May 7, 2026

Aeronautics

Flight Innovation

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program

University Innovation

University Leadership Initiative

NASA Celebrates Decade of University Innovation in Aeronautics

For 10 years, a NASA initiative has helped the agency produce breakthrough aeronautical innovations while fostering the aviation workforce of tomorrow – and the University Leadership Initiative (ULI) is still flying high, making awards with the potential to change 21st century air travel. Through ULI, NASA has supported more than 1,100 students at

Posted April 24, 2026