Moffett Field

Moffett Field is a joint civil-military airport located in the San Francisco Bay Area, within the city of Mountain View, California. Originally established as a United States Navy airbase, it is now managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and serves as the home of the NASA Ames Research Center. The airfield's iconic Hangar One, built to house dirigibles like the USS Macon (ZRS-5), remains a prominent National Historic Landmark and a symbol of its aeronautical heritage.

History

The airfield was commissioned in 1933 as Naval Air Station Sunnyvale, later renamed to honor Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, a pioneer in naval aviation. Its primary initial mission was to serve as a West Coast base for the Navy's lighter-than-air program, centered on the massive airship USS Macon (ZRS-5). Following the loss of the *Macon* in 1935 and the decline of the rigid airship, the station transitioned to conventional aircraft operations, playing a significant role during World War II as a training and logistics hub for the Pacific Theater of Operations. In 1994, the base was closed under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, and its management was transferred to NASA, which had established the adjacent NASA Ames Research Center in 1939.

Facilities and operations

The airfield features three active runways and is a hub for NASA flight operations, supporting research aircraft like the ER-2 and Gulfstream series. The massive, landmark Hangar One, with its distinctive exterior frame, dominates the complex. Other major facilities include the NASA Ames Research Center, the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division, and the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex wind tunnels. While NASA is the primary tenant, the airfield also hosts units of the California Air National Guard, including the 129th Rescue Wing, and provides a base for Planetary Ventures, a subsidiary of Google, which leases several historic structures for technology development.

Environmental issues

The site has been designated a Superfund site by the United States Environmental Protection Agency due to extensive groundwater contamination from historical use of trichloroethylene (TCE) and other solvents. Cleanup efforts, overseen by the EPA and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, have been ongoing for decades, focusing on soil vapor extraction and groundwater treatment. The preservation and remediation of the structurally contaminated Hangar One has been a particular challenge, involving a complex partnership between NASA, the U.S. Navy, and private entities to remove its toxic siding while preserving the historic framework.

In popular culture

The airfield's unique architecture and scale have made it a frequent filming location. Hangar One has appeared in major motion pictures such as The Rocketeer, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Angels & Demons. The base and its iconic hangar have also been featured in television series, including episodes of MythBusters and The X-Files, and serve as the setting for the fictional "Moffett Tower" in the video game Watch Dogs 2.

See also

* Naval Air Station Alameda * Travis Air Force Base * NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center * History of naval aviation in the United States * List of Superfund sites in California

Category:Airports in California Category:NASA facilities Category:National Historic Landmarks in California Category:Superfund sites in California