Langley Research Center
 |
|
 Aerial view of Langley Research Center |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1917 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Jurisdiction | U.S. federal government |
| Headquarters | Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | NASA |
| Website | www |
| Map | |
Map of NASA Langley Research Center
|
|
Langley Research Center (LaRC) is the oldest of NASA's field centers, located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It directly borders Langley Field and the city of Poquoson. LaRC has focused primarily on aeronautical research, but the Apollo lunar lander was flight-tested at the facility. In addition, a number of the earliest high-profile space missions were planned and designed on-site.
Established in 1917 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in the early 21st century the Center devotes two-thirds of its programs to aeronautics, and the rest to space. LaRC researchers use more than 40 wind tunnels to study improved aircraft and spacecraft safety, performance, and efficiency. Between 1958 and 1963, when NASA (the successor agency to NACA) started Project Mercury, LaRC served as the main office of the Space Task Group. In 1962-1963 this office was transferred to the Manned Spacecraft Center (now the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas.
The current director is David E. Bowles.
After US-German relations had deteriorated from neutral to hostile around 1916, the prospect of U.S. war entry became possible. On February 15, 1917, the newly established Aviation Week warned that the U.S. military aviation capability was less than what was operating in the European war. President Woodrow Wilson sent Hunsaker to Europe to investigate, and Hunsaker's report prompted Wilson to command the creation of the nation’s first aeronautics laboratory, which became NASA Langley.
...
Wikipedia