Armstrong Flight Research Center
NASA’s primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects, with access to 301,000 acres of remote land, year-round flying weather, and the Bell X-1 Supersonic Corridor.
Location
Edwards, California
Founded
1946
People
1,100+
Director
Bradley C. Flick
Celebrating 50 Years
On July 15, 1975, NASA astronaut Vance Brand – who later served as deputy director for aerospace programs at NASA Armstrong – joined two fellow American astronauts and two Soviet cosmonauts in launching the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first international crewed space mission.
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Armstrong News
NASA to Gather In-Flight Imagery of Commercial Test Capsule Re-Entry
NASA Tech to Measure Heat, Strain in Hypersonic Flight
NASA, Museum to Launch Junior Pilot School for Young Innovators
NASA F-15s Validate Tools for Quesst Mission
Meet Our People
NASA Armstrong's in-house knowledge – research and engineering; aircraft modification, maintenance, and operations; project and institutional management, etc. – drives the airworthiness and flight safety decisions to execute NASA’s mission.
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armstrong Leadership
Bradley Flick
Center Director
Laurie Grindle
Deputy Center Director
James Eastman
Associate Director for Mission Support (Acting)
Eddie Zavala
Director for Programs and Projects
Troy Asher
Director for Flight Operations
Steven Jensen
Director for Research and Engineering
Bruce Lipe
Director for Mission Operations (Acting)
Shawn Kern
Director for Safety and Mission Assurance
Joshua Martin
Chief Financial Officer (Acting)
Cynthia Bixby
Chief Engineer
Brett Swanson
Center Chief Counsel
Joy Murphy
Director for California Human Resources
Olivia Carte
Chief of Staff
Research Focus Areas
Armstrong plays a pivotal role across all aspects of the agency’s missions.
Capabilities & Facilities
Armstrong has the facilities and requisite expertise to conceive, design, analyze, fabricate, integrate, maintain, and conduct disciplinary research, flight research and flight test on modified or unique research vehicles and systems. Our strength is in integration of complex developmental systems.
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History
Armstrong's history dates back to 1946
NASA Armstrong is chartered to research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies, and conduct atmospheric Earth and space science flight operations. The center is named in honor of Neil A. Armstrong, a former research test pilot at the center and the first man to step on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
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Media Resources
Contacts, program information, and multimedia guidelines for media working on stories.
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Armstrong Image Gallery
Resources to Learn More about Armstrong
Informing the public and media about NASA’s missions and promoting Armstrong’s mission to advance technology and science through flight.
X-Press Newsletter
A monthly publication, available in pdf format, reports on the center's research.
Fact Sheets
Downloadable PDFs about the aircraft, flight test and research projects, facilities, people, and history of NASA Armstrong.
Request a NASA Speaker
Each year, NASA speakers provide hundreds of presentations to thousands of people.
Virtual Tour
Virtually explore the capabilities and facilities that make Armstrong NASA's primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects.
2023 Annual Report
This report describes NASA Armstrong’s 2023 accomplishments and economic impacts. We’re proud to be NASA’s home for experimental flight and strive to build on our legacy while tackling the challenges of tomorrow.
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