{"id":422941,"date":"2026-05-08T09:45:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T23:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=994061"},"modified":"2026-05-08T09:45:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T23:45:41","slug":"meet-the-fleet-nasa-armstrong-continues-legacy-of-flight-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=422941","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Fleet: NASA Armstrong Continues Legacy of Flight Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"NASA\u2019s<\/a><\/figure>
\n
NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, accompanied by a NASA F\/A-18 research aircraft serving as chase.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Jim Ross<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA\u2019s home for experimental flight is welcoming more flyers to its already high-performing fleet as it continues to support science and aeronautics test missions \u2013 continuing the legacy of pioneers like Neil Armstrong.<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, added multiple aircraft this year: two F-15s<\/a> supersonic jets, a Pilatus PC-12<\/a> utility plane, and a T-34 turboprop trainer, which the center will use to support the agency\u2019s advancement of aerospace research.<\/p>\n

Throughout the center\u2019s history, pilots have flown everything from large aircraft like the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft<\/a> and rocket-powered airplanes like the X-15<\/a> to high-speed repurposed fighter jets like the F-18<\/a>. And after almost 80 years, flight research is still going strong in the desert today.<\/p>\n

\u201cArmstrong has a rich history of flight research, but it\u2019s the multidimensional skills of the people we have here, and the knowledge they\u2019ve built to handle very unique aircraft maintenance and modifications, that stands out,\u201d said Darren Cole, capabilities manager for the Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project at NASA Armstrong.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t <\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Armstrong has a rich history of flight research, but it\u2019s the multidimensional skills of the people we have here … that stands out.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"Darren<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Darren Cole<\/p>\n

Capabilities Manager at NASA Armstrong<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The center plays a pivotal role in worldwide airborne science missions, flying scientists and equipment from NASA, other government agencies, industry, and academia to collect measurements such as air pollution levels, glacier melt trends, and wildland fire mapping.<\/p>\n

Scientists can manage experiments in real time aboard flying laboratories like the NASA ER-2,<\/a> to collect important data with the help of Armstrong\u2019s pilots and airborne science team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all come together to make the science happen,\u201d said Matt Berry, airborne research platforms branch chief at NASA Armstrong. \u201cIt is the agility of the Armstrong team that allows us to collaborate with scientists, get their equipment onboard, and to fly them to areas where they need to collect data.\u201d<\/p>\n

The center sits on Rogers Dry Lake<\/a>, a 44-square-mile slat flat area used for aviation research and test operations. Rogers and the adjacent Rosamond Dry Lake have seen everything from space shuttle landings to emergency test flight recoveries. The Rogers lakebed continues to serve as an important piece of Armstrong\u2019s test missions.<\/p>\n

For NASA Armstrong, it all started with the first attempt by a human to fly faster than the speed of sound in the Bell X-1<\/a>. In 1946, 13 employees from NASA\u2019s predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), arrived at what was then known as Muroc Army Airfield to prepare for the X-1 tests. A year later, NACA\u2019s Muroc Flight Test Unit was established as a permanent facility at the airfield.<\/p>\n

The center has gone by several names over the years, most recently changing from NASA\u2019s Dryden Flight Research Center to NASA Armstrong in 2014. But its legacy has never shifted: The Bell X-1E, the last of the X-1 series of aircraft, now sits in front of NASA Armstrong, welcoming the newest test pilots, engineers, scientists, explorers, and dreamers. And they\u2019re using the aircraft of today to break new barriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there is another place in the world with a more diverse fleet of aircraft. We have everything from a low-altitude powered glider to ER-2s, which are flying at high altitudes, and a multitude of aircraft in between,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n

From sourcing rare components to machining custom parts in-house, NASA Armstrong\u2019s teams transform these aircraft into research workhorses. The center continues its crucial role in leading aeronautics testing, Earth science research, and supporting government and industry partners.<\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\t\tLearn more about aircraft flown at NASA Armstrong<\/span>
\n\t\t<\/circle><\/path><\/svg>
\n\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Share<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n