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Aeronautics

The X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed (MUTT) is greeted on an Edwards Air Force Base runway by a U.S. Air Force...

Small white test aircraft with eyes painted on it facing forward, while U.S. Air Force team member in uniform stands to the left

From mid-1979 to January 1983, two remotely piloted, experimental Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) vehicles were used at the NASA...

HIMAT in flight.

X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed is welcomed home by an AFRL team member.

X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed on the EAFB Runway

The X-51A successfully made the longest supersonic combustion ramjet-powered hypersonic flight to date off the southern California coast on May...

Rays of light shining through circular tunnel entrance

This future aircraft design concept for supersonic flight over land comes from the team led by the Lockheed Martin Corporation....

Artist concept of long, thin aircraft in green and white with Earth below and curve of atmosphere visible

This 1961 photograph from NASA's Langley Research Center pictures a .005 inch x 1 inch supersonic transport scale model for...

Very close in photograph of man peering through glass at tiny aircraft model

Earlier this fall, a subscale model of a potential future low-boom supersonic aircraft designed by The Boeing Company was installed...

Symmetrical front view of silver aircraft model in blue wind tunnel

On March 3, 2015, hundreds gathered at an AIAA-organized event at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC,...

On March 3, 2015, hundreds gathered at the Air & Space Museum in DC, to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the NACA.

In this 1945 photo, test pilots (from left) Mel Gough, Herb Hoover, Jack Reeder, Steve Cavallo and Bill Gray stand...

Langley research pilots in front of P-47 fighter

Our ability to fly at supersonic speeds over land in civil aircraft depends on our ability to reduce the level...

Artist concept of a green supersonic vehicle flying in the clouds.

In the turbulent era of 1960s Cold War confrontations, Moon race headlines, and war in southeast Asia, eight test pilots...

Black and white photo of Bill Dana, a NASA research pilot holding his helmet standing next to the X-15 aircraft.

NASA Aeronautics is taking off on a journey to jumpstart a new era in aviation. We’re focusing our research in...

Fasten your seatbelts. A new era in aviation is now beginning. Image of a runway with 2015 painted on the runway in the forefront and 2025 in the middle. On the left is a gray box with the text: Fasten your seatbelts. A new era in aviation is now beginning. Off to the right are 6 Strategic Thrust icons. 1. Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations. 2. Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft. 3. Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles. 4. Transition to Low-Carbon Propulsion. 5. Real-Time System-Wide Assurance. 6. Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation.

Cowboy Joe (NACA High-Speed Flight Station test pilot Joseph Walker) and his steed (Bell Aircraft Corporation X-1A) are pictured in...

Test pilot Joe Walker in cowboy hat and boots jumping into the cockpit of an aircraft.

Scientific imaging specialist Quentin Schwinn uses a laser scanner to scan ice accretion on the leading edge of an airfoil...

Scientific imaging specialist Quentin Schwinn uses a laser scanner to scan ice accretion on the leading edge of an airfoil.

Aeronautics -- State of the Union Sharable

Aeronautics -- State of the Union Sharable. Image of passengers in silhouette at an airport terminal next to a large window with an airport tower in the background an an airplane in flight. In a gray box on the left is the text: Aviation gives the U.S. $1.5 trillion in economic activity. At the top of the image is the text: "Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999." President Barack Obama.

NASA-developed software tools deployed in the 1990s – CTAS, TMA –are the backbone of many air traffic control systems. They...

NASA-developed air traffic tools help get you home faster and support a safe, efficient airspace. Image showing someone sitting at a desk looking at the screen.

During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb led a team of researchers to develop and test a series...

Supercritial Wing NASA Aircraft in flight with a red gift tag that says, To: Aviation. From: NASA.

At a public forum in Florida, NASA shared results from this spring's testing under the Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails...

ACCESS II, jet in the background with an inset photo on the talk on the results of the test.

Chevrons are the sawtooth edges found on the edges of jet engine nacelles and/or nozzles. They are proven to reduce...

NASA-developed chevrons reduce aircraft noise for quieter living near airports. Image showing a NASA employee wearing a safety vest standing next to the large engine nozzle with a red gift tag that says, To: You. From: NASA.

During the 1970s and 1980s, NASA research led to the development of vertical extensions that can be attached to wing...

NASA-developed winglets reduce drag and save fuel. View of an airplane wing with winglets with a red gift tag that says To: You. From: NASA.

In the 1950s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb discovered several fundamental solutions to key aerodynamics challenges. One of the most revolutionary...

Image showing NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb, who discovered area rule, inspecting a model. On the model is a red gift tag that says, To: Aviation. From: NASA.

During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA helped develop and flight test the digital “fly-by-wire” system, which replaced heavier and less...

NASA testing of digital fly-by-wire proved system is safe, lighter, more pilot responsive and efficient. Black and white image showing the digital fly-by-wire with a red gift tag that says, To: Aviation. From: NASA.

Aircraft, spacecraft, racing cars, 18-wheelers – wind tunnels are still a critical tool for testing and proving aerodynamic performance. NASA...

NASA-developed wind tunnels remain invaluable tools for testing aircraft aerodynamics. Image showing a large full-scale airplane tail in the wind tunnwl with a red gift tag that says, To: Scientist and Engineers. From: NASA.

Ever see an old airplane cockpit and how it was chock-full of dials and gauges and things that spun around?...

Airplane cockpit. NASA-developed glass cockpits make flying easier for pilots. Image of the inside of a cockpit with a red gift tag that says, To Pilots. From: NASA.

As early as the 1930s, wind tunnels built and operated by NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for on Aeronautics,...

NASA wind tunnel. Image of a colorful image of a NASA wind tunnel with a gift tag that says To: Scientists and Engineers. From NASA.

The second generation X-1s used the same wing, horizontal tail, and XLR-11 rocket engine as the first generation aircraft, with...

X-1B on lakebed.

The Douglas X-3 Stiletto was the sleekest of the early experimental aircraft, but its research accomplishments were not those originally...

X-3 in flight.

Nearly every aircraft flying and air traffic management system now in use includes NASA-supported technologies that improve efficiency and safety....

NASA transforms the way we fly. Artist illustration of the globe off to the right with airplanes flying all around it.

For decades, NASA has worked with the aviation community to develop technologies that help keep air transportation the safest way...

NASA makes aircraft safer for your precious cargo. A young mother holding her baby while looking out the window of an airplane.

Aviation gives the U.S. $1.5 trillion per year in economic activity – jobs, commerce, leisure.

Aviation gives the U.S. $1.5 trillion in economic activity. Image of an airport terminal with silhouettes of people and a large window showing the tower and an airplane in flight.

You may not have flown today but something you needed did – a designer suit, the latest iPhone, a new...

Aviation gives you...global fashion. Image of a man's blue suit with shirt and tie on a mannequin with a yellow tufted wall in the background.

NASA-developed tools have been in use by the FAA and its controllers for decades.

Airplane on runway.

Aviation connects people. NASA is with you when you fly, too. Every U.S. aircraft and air traffic control tower has...

Aviation gives you...Grandma's hugs. Image of a grandma with her grandson on her lap as she's giving him a hug at the Thanksgiving table with friends and family around them.

When the busiest air travel day of the year is here, NASA Aeronautics helps keep flight safe and efficient.

Busy Airplane Runways, the busiest air travel day of the year is November 30th. Image of two airplanes on the runway preparing for take-off.

The industry association Airlines for America predicts 24.6 million passengers will take off to visit friends and family during the...

Grandkids hugging their grandma, Aviation matters to the 24.6 million Thanksgiving air travelers.

To help develop more efficient rotorcraft designs, engineers need to better understand the complex airflow interactions caused by the spinning...

This visualization shows a pre-test hover simulation of a rotor within the 80x120-ft test section of the NFAC.

Aviation matters to the 741 million passengers who travel every year.

Aviation Matters To The Passengers

Aviation gives the U.S. 11.5 million direct and indirect jobs.

Aviation Gives U.S. Jobs

NASA's green aviation project is one step closer to developing technology that could make future airliners quieter and more fuel-efficient...

Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) flight test of aircraft with flexible, trailing-edge wing flaps.

NASA has made decades of contributions to aviation. NASA technology is on board every U.S. commercial aircraft and air traffic...

On Board Every US Commercial Aircraft and Control Tower