Space Projects
Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, supports NASA’s Human Exploration and Space Technology missions by exploring space beyond low-Earth orbit and developing and demonstrating revolutionary, high-payoff technologies.
Branch Chief (Acting)
Patricia Ortiz
Flight Opportunities Program Manager
Gregory Peters
Flight Opportunities
Rapidly demonstrating technologies for space exploration, discovery, and expansion of space commerce.
Learn More About the Program about Flight Opportunities
Space Projects News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from Armstrong's as we break down barriers and accelerate change for the benefit of humanity.
Listen to this audio excerpt from Paul Boehm, Orion crew support and thermal systems functional area manager: As the Artemis II…
Read this story in English here. A fin de lograr el objetivo nacional de llevar astronautas estadounidenses a la superficie de…
To achieve the national goal of landing American astronauts on the surface of the Moon and maintaining U.S. superiority in…
Listen to this audio excerpt from Katie Oriti, Orion European Service Module Integration Office manager: Growing up in rural America,…
Jesse Berdis’s dream of becoming a structural engineer began with visions of skyscrapers rising above the Dallas and Oklahoma skyline.…
NASA is leveraging expertise, capabilities, and partnerships across its centers to make Artemis campaign and deep space exploration safer, more…
Lander Simulation Testing Helps Advance NASA Navigation Technology
How do you test lunar lander technology on Earth before going to the Moon? NASA uses commercial flight providers like Masten Space Systems vertical takeoff vertical landing rocket, Xodiac, to validate it during a recent flight in Mojave, California.
The flight test simulates some of the maneuvers of a lunar lander. Designed for precision landing in a very tightly defined area, the Navigation Doppler Lidar technology transmits laser beams to the ground that bounce back to a sensor, providing information about the lander’s velocity and distance to the ground. Unlike Earth where GPS satellites are used to navigate, NASA needs new technology to explore the Moon and other planets so a precision landing technology could open possibilities to land anywhere even near a crater.
