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<\/a><\/figure>NASA opened its newest wind tunnel, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, Friday, providing a critical resource for the agency and its partners to test the safety and performance of future generations of aircraft, rockets, and space exploration vehicles.<\/p>\n
Located at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility will support advances in aircraft safety, X\u2011plane development, drone research, and spacecraft technology. The facility will enable both free\u2011flight and mounted testing of a wide range of scale-model vehicles designed to travel through an atmosphere, from airplanes to space capsules returning to Earth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Flight Dynamics Research Facility is NASA\u2019s first major new wind tunnel in more than 40 years and gives us a powerful new platform to test the ideas and technologies that will shape the future of aviation and exploration,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. \u201cAmerica has led in air and space because we were willing to take on hard problems, challenge assumptions, and build what didn\u2019t exist before. This facility gives the talented team at Langley, and our partners across government, industry, and universities, the tools to keep pushing the boundaries of what\u2019s possible and ensure America remains the world leader in air and space.\u201d<\/p>\n
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at NASA Langley marked the start of a new chapter in flight research. Agency leaders, partners, and Virginia officials emphasized how the Flight Dynamics Research Facility\u2019s state-of-the-art capabilities will shape the future of flight and exploration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opening of the Flight Dynamics Research Facility represents a significant advancement for NASA and for the nation,\u201d said Dr. Trina Dyal, NASA Langley center director. \u201cBy bringing modernized testing capabilities under one roof, we are enabling transformative research that will ensure the United States remains at the forefront of aeronautics and exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Built through a partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the facility replaces aging infrastructure with an energy-efficient facility that reduces maintenance costs and provides the flexibility needed for future research. The Flight Dynamics Research Facility is part of a broader, long-term collaboration between the agencies, representing the fourth new building GSA has delivered to NASA under Langley\u2019s 20-year campus revitalization plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cGSA is proud to partner with NASA in delivering the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, a state-of-the-art asset that will power the next generation of American dominance in aeronautics and space exploration,\u201d said Edward C. Forst, GSA administrator. \u201cThis facility reflects what we do best: provide the advanced, expertly designed installations that federal agencies need to carry out their missions. With these new capabilities, NASA will be better equipped to test bold ideas, validate new designs, and advance technologies that will serve the nation for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Flight Dynamics Research Facility combines and improves upon the capabilities of two historic NASA Langley wind tunnels <\/a>\u2013 the 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel and the 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel. The 25,000-square-foot building features a vertical wind tunnel with improved airflow, modern digital systems, and flexible testing capabilities that will allow researchers to study how aircraft, spacecraft, parachutes, and other vehicles behave during flight.<\/p>\n The facility\u2019s 20-foot diameter test chamber is much larger than those of its NASA Langley predecessors, allowing for more air to pass around test models and improving data accuracy. Its increased size also allows for the use of larger, more detailed models during testing.<\/p>\n The Flight Dynamics Research Facility\u2019s top airspeed of 117 miles per hour is twice as fast as the old \u00a0facilities, enabling free-flight tests of heavier scale models. This will allow simulations of full-scale vehicles flying at higher altitudes \u2013 a critical capability for operations such as studying the stability of aircraft or reentry capsules coming back from space.<\/p>\n The facility\u2019s wind power comes from four 750-horsepower motors, each with an integrated, 14-foot diameter, eight-bladed fan. The fan blades are made of lightweight carbon fiber, enabling rapid, precise airspeed adjustments during free\u2011flight tests.<\/p>\n The Flight Dynamics Research Facility illustrates the powerful synergy between NASA\u2019s aeronautics and space exploration efforts, with each driving innovation in the other. The facility will drive experimental research across a wide range of flight systems, advancing the development of autonomous flight vehicles, drones, commercial and military aircraft, and X\u2011planes.<\/p>\n As NASA prepares for a sustained human presence on the lunar surface through the Artemis program and the development of a Moon Base, the facility will play a key role in testing vehicle designs for entry, descent, and landing that will help reduce mission risk and support the safe return of crews to Earth. NASA also will be able to use the wind tunnel \u00a0to help design aircraft for Mars and other destinations in our solar system where atmospheric flight is possible. <\/ins> With the Flight Dynamics Research Facility now open, NASA is entering a new era in flight research \u2013 one that will shape the aircraft and spacecraft of tomorrow, strengthen industry partnerships, and extend the agency\u2019s legacy of pioneering aerospace leadership.<\/p>\n The facility is managed under the Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities portfolio in the Aeronautics Division of NASA\u2019s Research and Technology Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n Learn more about the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at:<\/p>\n https:\/\/go.nasa.gov\/4yzKEGQ<\/a><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Camille Gallo \/ Rob Margetta Kimiko Booker \/ Brittny McGraw<\/del><\/p>\n
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kimiko.s.booker@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ brittny.v.mcgraw@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n