NASA opened the Flight Dynamics Research Facility on July 31, 2026, at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The agency described it as its first major new wind tunnel in more than four decades.
NASA leadership and Virginia government officials took part in the opening ceremony. The facility will be used to test the safety and performance of future aircraft, rockets, and space exploration vehicles, and NASA's partners will also have access to it as a testing resource.
According to NASA, the facility will support the agency's aeronautics research, exploration, and science goals, as well as broader research and technology development work.