Armstrong Flight Research Center (NASA), California

The Armstrong Flight Research Center (formerly Dryden Flight Research Center) is NASA's primary atmospheric flight research and test facility. It is located on Edwards Air Force Base. In 1946, engineers and test pilots came from the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (later to become NASA) based in Langley, Virginia, to develop a test center for the X-1 aircraft. Edwards AFB was then called Muroc Station and was a training facility for the Army Air Corps. It was here that the lifting body design program of the 1960's and 70's took place that led to the creation of the space shuttle. The Armstrong facility continues to be used for flight characteristics research, development of UAVs, space exploration, aeronautical research and development, and astrophysics.