On Sept. 30, 1946, five National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (NACA) engineers arrived at Muroc Army Airfield in California’s high desert to achieve supersonic flight for the first time. In less than two years, NACA flew the X-1 aircraft faster than the speed of sound, marking an important milestone in aviation history.

Fast forward 80 years, and that former NACA outpost is now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flying the X-59 supersonic X-plane in the same skies to demonstrate that supersonic flight doesn’t have to come with a boom.

Over Armstrong’s 80-year history, the center has supported milestone missions ranging from space shuttle landings to SR-71 flights, shaping the evolution of science, aeronautics, and space research.

This Southern California NASA center is poised to lead the next era of aeronautics and human spaceflight, advancing technologies that will define the future of flight.

Behind these achievements are the engineers, pilots, technicians, and mission support teams who continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

For more about NASA Armstrong, visit:

Dede Dinius / Teresa Whiting Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California 661-276-3449 darin.l.dinius@nasa.gov / teresa.whiting@nasa.gov

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