Testing

Antenna Testing for NASA’s SkyFall Mission

Aerial data from these aircraft can help NASA plan more efficient routes and identify science targets on Mars.

• Antenna pointed up during testing to minimize reflections and interference with the antenna pattern.
• SkyFall consists of three aircraft equipped with four instruments each.
• Expected to launch aboard Space Reactor-1 Freedom in late 2028.

What Lake Bonneville Left Behind

These unique environments allow NASA to test instruments for Venus missions on Earth and provide mineral resources like potash used in fertilizer.

• Rehearsals took place in June 2026 using Crater Island as an analog for Venus's Alpha Regio mountainous area.
• Camera systems captured hundreds of images during helicopter descent to construct three-dimensional geologic maps.

NASA engineers at Armstrong Flight Research Center conducted structural loads and test-to-failure evaluations on the 15-foot experimental truss-braced wing model.

• The test article was fully installed in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center on May 20, 2026.
• The structure ultimately failed at approximately 127% of its design limit load.
• Testing was completed on March 31, 2026 by Walter Hargis, who regulated the model.
• This is the first time a representative composite truss-braced wing configuration has undergone this type of structural evaluation.

NASA, SpaceX Advance Wind Tunnel Tests for Starship Rocket 

This data improves flight guidance software and structural safety for future crewed lunar landings scheduled for 2027 and 2028.

• Tests were conducted in late 2025 at NASA Ames Research Center in California using both transonic (Mach 0.2 to Mach 1.4) and supersonic (Mach 1.55 to Mach 2.5) wind tunnels.
• The testing evaluated steady and unsteady aerodynamic forces during re-entry on a 1.2% scale model featuring three larger gridfins, Raptor 3 engines, and an integrated hot stage.
• Data collected will refine flight software guidance and aerodynamic load models for SpaceX's Starship HLS ahead of the Artemis III mission in 2027.