Flying cars, space tourism, and safe reentry for astronauts returning from Mars may no longer be just science fiction. According to Charles “Mike” Fremaux, the chief engineer for intelligent flight systems at NASA Langley Research Center, these technologies could become a reality sooner than expected. To test these concepts and ensure public and military safety, NASA Langley is constructing its first new wind tunnel in over 40 years. This facility, called the NASA Flight Dynamic Research Facility, will replace two older wind tunnels that are around 80 years old. The largest wind tunnel at the center, the National Transonic Facility, was built in 1980.
The construction of the Flight Dynamics Research Facility began in August 2022, and it is expected to open in early 2025. This new wind tunnel will be crucial for conducting research on the behavior of new aircraft, particularly those relying on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology. With the anticipated increase in private vehicles in the air, it is necessary to understand how these vehicles will perform in real-world conditions. Fremaux believes that some of these technologies will likely become mainstream by 2040 or even earlier.
The federal government has awarded a $43.2 million contract to BL Harbert International, a construction company based in Alabama, to design and build the 25,000-square-foot facility. The wind tunnel, which will be 130 feet tall, will replace the current 12-foot Low-Speed Spin Tunnel and the 20-foot Vertical Spin Tunnel. These older wind tunnels have been instrumental in previous projects, such as the Stardust Mission in 2006, which collected material from outside the moon’s orbit.
In addition to testing commercial aviation advancements, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility will support the entry, descent, and landing of future missions returning from the moon, Mars, Venus, and Saturn’s moon, Titan. This research will contribute to human space exploration and improve the safety of landing and reentry for future missions to Mars. The tunnel will also provide safety measures for both the public and technicians working there.
During a presentation at the Virginia Air & Space Science Center, Fremaux addressed concerns about launching and retrieving scale models used for testing. He assured the audience that skilled technicians would launch the models by hand, similar to the current process. This prompted a reaction from Ronald Hermansderfer, a retired technician from NASA Langley, who had worked at the center from 1983 to 2002. Hermansderfer’s question highlighted the potential dangers of launching models in wind tunnels. Fremaux recognized Hermansderfer and explained how the new wind tunnel would have a pressure equalization system to prevent accidents.
Overall, the construction of the Flight Dynamics Research Facility represents a significant step forward for NASA Langley in advancing aerospace technologies, ensuring public safety, and supporting future space exploration missions.