NASA Home for Experimental Flight Aeronautics Mission Development
Located in the Mojave Desert, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, pushes the boundaries of flight to advance the agency’s aeronautics mission. Here Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier and today’s engineers are pioneering the future of high-speed, autonomous, and electrified aircraft. Armstrong contributes to NASA’s broader mission of innovation and collaboration, leveraging its unique location.
The story begins in 1947, when 13 engineers and technicians from NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, arrived at the Muroc Army Airfield – now Edwards Air Force Base – in the high desert of Southern California to build the Station for High-Speed Their mission was to prepare for the first supersonic research flights on the X-1 rocket plane. The Bell X-1 became the first plane to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight, a historic milestone that marked the dawn of a new era in aviation and helped cement Edwards Air Force Base as a cornerstone of NASA’s flight research enterprise.
Today, NASA’s mission continues that tradition, supporting cutting-edge aeronautics projects such as the X-59 quiet supersonic technology aircraft, hypersonic research, and new technologies in advanced air mobility, with flight testing led by NASA Armstrong in collaboration with other NASA centers and industry partners.
NASA Armstrong’s location at Edwards Air Force Base supports NASA flight research that is difficult or impossible elsewhere, offering unparalleled access to the nation’s largest safe flight test range with specialized test instrumentation. The base covers nearly 470 square miles of mission-critical terrain, including Rogers Dry Lake’s 44-square-mile surface. It provides coverage of a large amount of restricted airspace that enables safe, complex flight test scenarios for NASA teams across multiple programs.
Almost from the beginning of aeronautical development, the natural geography of the region played an important role. In 1937, almost the entire fleet of the US Army Air Corp conducted maneuvers over Rogers Dry Lake – then known as Muroc Dry Lake – a vast, flat expanse formed by ancient geological processes that served as a unique emergency landing site. Its rigid interior and wide open area provide a natural safety net for experimental aircraft, offering a safety margin critical during high-risk missions.
With the US involvement in World War II, the area’s importance grew, bringing more resources, new facilities, and a focus on research, and experimentation with new aircraft designs. Today, the airspace above the region includes the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor, a designated section of restricted airspace within the Edwards test range. This corridor provides a safe, controlled environment for supersonic and transonic flight testing, enabling precision high-speed maneuvers in the Mojave Desert. Combined with nearly year-round flying weather and low population, this unique airspace supports non-stop flight operations for NASA’s aeronautics programs.
NASA’s X-plane legacy is deeply rooted in its history. From the X-1 to the X-59, NASA has developed several X-planes – many of which were flight-tested at Edwards with contributions from Armstrong and other NASA centers. These experimental aircraft are designed to push the boundaries of flight and test new technologies. At Edwards, NASA teams tested everything from lifting body designs – critical for spacecraft and reentry research – to digital fly-by-wire systems, which have become the standard in commercial aviation.
This culture of innovation continues today as NASA’s aeronautics team – leveraging Armstrong’s flight research expertise – advances advanced air mobility, electrified propulsion, and autonomous flight systems. The center’s location and infrastructure enables rapid prototyping and testing, accelerating NASA’s ability to mature next-generation aviation technologies.
The partnership with the US Air Force further strengthens NASA’s capabilities. Shared resources, coordinated airspace management, and joint operations allow NASA researchers to conduct complex missions with support and safety protocols, while collaborating with NASA centers and industry.
While Armstrong is best known for experimental aircraft, NASA’s work with Edwards supports a diverse mission portfolio. The center supports Earth science missions, airborne sensor testing, and planetary exploration. Its aircraft — including the ER-2 and Gulfstream — carry instruments that study climate, weather, and atmospheric composition, contributing vital data to NASA’s scientific goals with the agency’s science teams.
Edwards’ location and infrastructure enable these missions by providing access to high-altitude corridors, stable flight conditions, and the ability to integrate new technologies quickly. Whether it’s testing sensors for Mars exploration or flying through storms to collect data, NASA’s air science, supported by Armstrong’s flight operations, is the agency’s top priority.
Edwards’ legacy of NASA flight research includes milestones that shaped the history of aviation:
Each of these achievements demonstrates NASA’s collaboration, drawing on location, infrastructure, and culture to deliver agency impact. As aviation enters a new era of fuel savings, autonomy, and accessibility, NASA’s aeronautics team – through flight research at Armstrong and elsewhere – remains steadfast to test the technologies that will define the future of flight.
With growing interest in advanced air mobility, high-speed flight research, and new aircraft technologies, NASA’s integrated approach is more critical than ever. NASA Armstrong’s flight test discipline and safety frameworks contribute to agency-wide risk management and system engineering, supporting NASA’s top priorities – from commercial supersonic technologies to the safety practices that underpin human spaceflight.
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