NASA Opens Flight Dynamics Research Facility at Langley

The 25,000-square-foot vertical wind tunnel increases test speed and model size to reduce design risk for aircraft, autonomous systems, and lunar entry vehicles.

Overview

NASA opened the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at Langley Friday, creating a new vertical wind tunnel that can run mounted tests or free‑flight trials of unsupported scale models.
The facility houses a 20-foot-diameter test chamber driven by four 750-horsepower motors and 14-foot, eight-bladed carbon‑fiber fans, with a top airspeed of 117 miles per hour for higher‑fidelity testing.
The new tunnel combines and upgrades the roles of Langley’s old 20‑Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel and 12‑Foot Low‑Speed Tunnel, allowing larger and heavier models and more precise stability, spin and parachute experiments.
Built through a partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration, the facility is the fourth building delivered under Langley’s 20‑year campus revitalization plan and aims to cut maintenance costs with modern, energy‑efficient design.
Managed under NASA’s Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities portfolio, the tunnel is positioned to support X‑plane development, drone and autonomous flight research, and entry, descent and landing studies for Artemis and future Mars atmospheric flight concepts.