NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Dryden shares 20,000 square miles of airspace with the AFFTC. (NASA illustration) › View Larger Image

Restricted airspace, corridors, and special-use areas are available for experimental aircraft. (NASA illustration)
› View Larger Image Located at Edwards, California, in the western Mojave Desert, Dryden is uniquely situated to take advantage of the excellent year-round flying weather, remote area, and visibility to test some of the nation's most exciting air vehicles. Partnership with Dryden provides access to a world-class workforce and flight environment plus unrivaled research facilities:

• Access to restricted airspace (R-2508, the largest overland supersonic corridor in the country) and the premier Edwards AFB range
• Relationships with other NASA Centers and government labs
• Alliance with the Air Force Flight Test Center
• Proximity to aerospace contractors, production, and Research and Development; the only place like it
• Access to Plant 42
• World-wide operations of our airborne science aircraft
• Ability to conduct test programs on other ranges -- Southwest Range Complex (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Utah)
• On-site, tailored safety clearance
• Experimental labs/shops for mod, repair, instrumentation, test, and qualification
• Partnership with the AERO Institute -- Facilitates joint NASA, university, and industry projects; leverages assets
• Consolidated Information Technology Center
• NASA Fabrication Alliance
• Paved surface and hard-clay lakebed runways (68 miles combined length)
• Proximity to aerospace hub of activity (China Lake, Grey Butte, Los Angeles, Mojave, Nellis, Palmdale, Point Mugu, and Vandenberg)
• Sparse population