4 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/afrc2026-0004-008.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA\u2019s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow test article is mounted beneath the agency\u2019s F-15 research aircraft ahead of the design\u2019s high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 3-foot-tall scale model is designed to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce drag, improving efficiency in large, swept wings like those found on most commercial aircraft.<\/div>\nNASA\/Christopher LC Clark<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNASA researchers successfully completed a high-speed taxi test of a scale model of a design that could make future aircraft more efficient by improving how air flows across a wing\u2019s surface, saving fuel and money.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 12, the Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article reached speeds of approximately 144 mph, marking its first major milestone. The 3-foot-tall scale model looks like a fin mounted under the belly of one of the agency\u2019s research F-15B testbed jets. However, it\u2019s a scale model of a wing, mounted vertically instead of horizontally. The setup allows NASA to flight-test the wing design using an existing aircraft.<\/p>\n
The CATNLF concept aims to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce wind resistance, also known as drag.<\/p>\n
A NASA computational study conducted between 2014 and 2017 estimated that applying a CATNLF wing design to a large, long-range aircraft like the Boeing 777 could achieve annual fuel savings of up to 10%. \u00a0Although quantifying the exact savings this technology could achieve is difficult, the study indicates it could approach millions of dollars per aircraft each year.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/afrc2026-0004-009.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA\u2019s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow test article is mounted beneath the agency\u2019s F-15 research aircraft ahead of the design\u2019s high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 3-foot-tall scale model is designed to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce drag, improving efficiency in large, swept wings like those found on most commercial aircraft.<\/div>\nNASA\/Christopher LC Clark<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cEven small improvements in efficiency can add up to significant reductions in fuel burn and emissions for commercial airlines,\u201d said Mike Frederick, principal investigator for CATNLF at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.<\/p>\n
Reducing drag is key to improving efficiency. During flight, a thin cover of air known as the boundary layer forms very near an aircraft\u2019s surface. In this area, most aircraft experience increasing friction, also known as turbulent flow, where air abruptly changes direction. These abrupt changes increase drag and fuel consumption. CATNLF increases laminar flow, or the smooth motion of air, within the boundary layer. The result is more efficient aerodynamics, reduced friction, and less fuel burn.<\/p>\n
The CATNLF testing falls under NASA\u2019s Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project, a part of the agency\u2019s Integrated Aviation Systems Program under the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The concept of was first developed by NASA\u2019s Advanced Air Transport Technology project, and in 2019, NASA Armstrong researchers developed the initial shape and parameters of the model. The design was later refined for efficiency at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaminar flow technology has been studied and used on airplanes to reduce drag for many decades now, but laminar flow has historically been limited in application,\u201d said Michelle Banchy, Langley principal investigator for CATNLF.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/afrc2026-0004-008.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>NASA researchers successfully completed a high-speed taxi test of a scale model of a design that could make future aircraft more efficient by improving how air flows across a wing\u2019s surface, saving fuel and money.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 12, the Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article reached speeds of approximately 144 mph, marking its first major milestone. The 3-foot-tall scale model looks like a fin mounted under the belly of one of the agency\u2019s research F-15B testbed jets. However, it\u2019s a scale model of a wing, mounted vertically instead of horizontally. The setup allows NASA to flight-test the wing design using an existing aircraft.<\/p>\n
The CATNLF concept aims to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce wind resistance, also known as drag.<\/p>\n
A NASA computational study conducted between 2014 and 2017 estimated that applying a CATNLF wing design to a large, long-range aircraft like the Boeing 777 could achieve annual fuel savings of up to 10%. \u00a0Although quantifying the exact savings this technology could achieve is difficult, the study indicates it could approach millions of dollars per aircraft each year.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\u201cEven small improvements in efficiency can add up to significant reductions in fuel burn and emissions for commercial airlines,\u201d said Mike Frederick, principal investigator for CATNLF at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.<\/p>\n
Reducing drag is key to improving efficiency. During flight, a thin cover of air known as the boundary layer forms very near an aircraft\u2019s surface. In this area, most aircraft experience increasing friction, also known as turbulent flow, where air abruptly changes direction. These abrupt changes increase drag and fuel consumption. CATNLF increases laminar flow, or the smooth motion of air, within the boundary layer. The result is more efficient aerodynamics, reduced friction, and less fuel burn.<\/p>\n
The CATNLF testing falls under NASA\u2019s Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project, a part of the agency\u2019s Integrated Aviation Systems Program under the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The concept of was first developed by NASA\u2019s Advanced Air Transport Technology project, and in 2019, NASA Armstrong researchers developed the initial shape and parameters of the model. The design was later refined for efficiency at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaminar flow technology has been studied and used on airplanes to reduce drag for many decades now, but laminar flow has historically been limited in application,\u201d said Michelle Banchy, Langley principal investigator for CATNLF.<\/p>\n