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NASA Ames Research Center aerial from the NFAC 80-by-120-foot wind tunnel inlet vanes N221B with Power Substation North N225B, Office Trailers TR35A, TR35, and TR35C in forground looking west across center. The image was taken by Jonas Jonsson and Zachary Roberts, General Engineers with the Ames Aeronautics Projects Office, during a drone flight over the center.

NASA Ames Research Center Capabilities & Facilities

Highlighted Ames Testing Facilities 

model of Truss Braced Wing aircraft in wind tunnel

Wind Tunnel Testing

Our premier wind tunnel facilities have a broad range of proven testing capabilities to customers from industry, DOD, other government agencies, and academia. Recent facility modernization efforts have also resulted in significant improvements to systems directly affecting both data quality and testing productivity. Customers of Ames wind tunnels also have available a host of NASA's technical and analytical capabilities including: engineering, fabrication, CFD support, and consulting and troubleshooting with aerodynamic and acoustic experts..

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The heat shield used to transport the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover through the atmosphere of the Red Planet upon arrival is seen undergoing testing at the Arc Jet facilities at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

Arc Jet Testing

The Arc Jet Complex has seven available test bays. At the present time, four bays contain Arc Jet units of differing configurations, serviced by common facility support equipment. These are the Aerodynamic Heating Facility (AHF), the Turbulent Flow Duct (TFD), the Panel Test Facility (PTF), and the Interaction Heating Facility (IHF). The support equipment includes two D.C. power supplies, a steam ejector-driven vacuum system, a water-cooling system, high-pressure gas systems, data acquisition system, and other auxiliary systems.

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Astronaut Terry Virts in the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS)

Flight Simulators

The facility provides researchers with exceptional tools to explore, define, and solve issues in both aircraft and spacecraft design. It offers fast and cost-effective solutions using real-time piloted simulation, realistic sensory cues, and the greatest motion range of any flight simulator in the world. 

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NASA Ames Hover Test Vehicle Flight Test

Hover Test Facility

The Jet Calibration and Hover Test Facility at NASA Ames has been constructed to perform small scale experiments in hot gas ingestion and jet effects for aircrafts and UAVs. NASA Ames Research Center is collaborating with a commercial partner to develop a lunar lander for future low-cost missions to the moon. 

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NASA Ames Research Center aerial from the NFAC 80-by-120-foot wind tunnel inlet vanes N221B with Power Substation North N225B, Office Trailers TR35A, TR35, and TR35C in forground looking west across center. The image was taken by Jonas Jonsson and Zachary Roberts, General Engineers with the Ames Aeronautics Projects Office, during a drone flight over the center.

Other Ames Aeronautics Facilities

Learn about the extensive array of facilities for developing and evaluating numerous aspects of aeronautics technologies.

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Ames Capabilities & Facilities

Space Science & Astrobiology

  • Analog Research
  • Astrophysics & Astrochemistry
  • Exoplanet Characterization
  • Instrument Development
  • Origin of Life, Evolution, and Detection
  • Planet Modeling
  • Planetary Systems
  • Radiative Transfer Research


Earth Science

  • Advanced Sensor Technologies
  • Airborne Science
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Biospheric Sciences
  • Climate, Weather, and Disaster Modeling
  • Disaster Research
  • Earth System Science (Programs and Campaigns)
  • Ecological Forecasting
  • Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Space Biosciences

Bioengineering:
  • Atmospheric Revitalization
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Environmental & Life Support Systems
  • Exploration & Regenerative Life Support
  • Nanotechnology
  • Physicochemical Processes
  • Space Medicine
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Systems Engineering
  • Waste Management
  • Water Recovery
Biosciences Research:
  • Fundamental Space Biology
  • Gravitational Biology
  • Molecular & Cellular Biology
  • Radiation Detection & Biology
  • Radiation Measurement Technologies
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Closed Loop Life Support Systems
Flight Systems Implementation:
  • Flight Payload Development
  • Spaceflight Verification Testing & Analysis
  • Ground Experiment Hardware Development
Facilities:

Supercomputing

  • Advanced Modeling and Simulation
  • Application Optimization
  • Cloud Computing
  • Engineering Risk Assessment
  • Exascale Data Storage & Management
  • High-Performance Networks
  • IT Security
  • Large-scale Visualization
  • Machine Learning & Data Analytics
  • Modular Supercomputing Engineering
  • Petaflop-Scale Systems Engineering
Facilities:
  • Supercomputing Systems
  • Modular Supercomputing
  • High-End Storage Systems
  • High Performace Networking
  • Advanced Visualization Laboratory
  • NASA Earth Exchange (NEX)
  • Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL)












Intelligent Systems

  • Adaptive & Optimal Control Technologies
  • Applied Physics Technologies
  • Autonomous Systems & AI
  • Computer Science
  • Data Architecture, Analysis & Mining
  • Decision Support Systems
  • Enterprise Information Management
  • Ground & Flight Software
  • Integrated Systems Health Management Technologies
  • Planning & Scheduling Technologies
  • Quantum Computing
  • Robotics
  • Software Engineering, Autonomy, and Assurance Technologies
  • Verification & Validation Technologies
Facilities: 
  • Advanced Control Technologies Laboratory
  • Astrobee Laboratory
  • Common Avionics & Software Technologies (CAST) Laboratory
  • Mission Control Technologies Laboratory
  • NASA UAS Autonomy Research Complex (NU-ARC)
  • Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL)
  • Roverscape outdoor rover testbed
  • Systems Health, Analytics, Resilience, and Physics-modeling (SHARP) Laboratory


Human Systems Integration

  • Airspace operations research
  • Auditory and visual display development
  • Aviation safety research
  • Human-autonomy teaming
  • Human-in-the-loop assessments
  • Human performance evaluations
  • Integrated mission data and planning systems development
  • Unmanned aerial systems traffic management (UTM) studies
Facilities:
  • Advanced Controls and Displays Lab
  • Aerospace Cognitive Engineering (ACE) Lab
  • Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL)
  • Autonomous Vehicle Applications (AVA) Laboratory
  • Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)
  • Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory Human Autonomy Teaming (HAT) Laboratory
  • Flight Cognition Laboratory
  • Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory
  • Human-Centered Systems Laboratory
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Lab
  • Human Vibration Laboratory
  • Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System Laboratory
  • Ocular Imaging Laboratory
  • Psychophysiological Research Laboratory
  • Visuomotor Control Laboratory

Entry Systems & Technology

Facilities:
  • Arc Jet Facility
  • Aerodynamic Heating Facility
  • Interaction Heating Facility
  • Panel Test Facility
  • Turbulent Flow Duct Facility
  • Vertical Gun Range
  • Electric Arc Shock Tube Facility
  • Ballistic Range
  • Thermal Protection Systems Materials Development Laboratory
  • Ceramics Laboratory
  • Materials Characterization Laboratory
  • Ultra High Temperature Ceramic Laboratory
  • Nanotechnology Materials Laboratory

Small Spacecraft

  • Engineering Spacecraft Systems
  • Integration & Testing
  • Mission Design, Operations, & Analysis
  • Project and Mission Management
  • Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing
  • Software Development & Test
  • Spacecraft Development & Engineering












Aviation Systems

  • Aerospace Systems Concept Development & Technology
  • Air Traffic Management Systems
  • Analysis and Design Method Development
  • Computer Systems and Engineering
  • Control Systems, Guidance and Navigation
  • Crew Systems and Aviation Operations
  • Data Visualization
  • High-fidelity Flight Simulation
  • Human Factors Research and Engineering
  • Next Generation Air Transportation System
Facilities:
  • Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS)
  • FutureFlight Central (FFC)
  • Crew-Vehicle Systems Research Facility (CVSRF)
  • Distributed Simulation Research Laboratory (DSRL)
  • Flight Processing Center
Keep Exploring

Strategic Partnerships

Technology Transfer & Spinoffs

SBIR/STTR News & Success Stories

Current Space Act Agreements

Ames Partnerships Office Annual Report 2025