Ames Research Center

Ames Research Center
NASA · Public domain · source
Name	Ames Research Center
Established	1939
Location	Moffett Field, California
Type	NASA field center
Director	(varies)
Parent	National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ames Research Center

Ames Research Center is a major field center of National Aeronautics and Space Administration located at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County, California. Founded in 1939 as the NACA National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics facility, Ames has contributed to aeronautics, planetary science, astrobiology, supercomputing, and small satellite missions, supporting projects associated with Apollo program, Space Shuttle, Mars Exploration Rover, Kepler space telescope, and Voyager program. The center collaborates with Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and various industry partners including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Google.

History

Ames originated as the Moffett Field laboratory of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in the late 1930s, established amid pre-World War II expansion that included ties to Langley Research Center and Lewis Research Center. During World War II Ames supported aircraft design efforts for companies such as Curtiss-Wright, Northrop Corporation, and Consolidated Aircraft, and worked with military installations like Mare Island Naval Shipyard and Patterson Field. Postwar growth linked Ames to programs at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, including early collaborations on projects leading to the Pioneer program and Mariner program. After the 1958 formation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames hosted research contributing to the Mercury program, Gemini program, and later Apollo program. In the late 20th century Ames expanded into supercomputing with installations comparable to facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division. In the 21st century Ames partnered on missions such as Kepler space telescope, Phoenix (spacecraft), and supported operations for International Space Station payloads and Commercial Crew Program contractors including SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corporation.

Facilities and Locations

The main campus at Moffett Field includes historic structures tied to Hangar One and infrastructure near Shoreline Amphitheatre and the South Bay. Ames operates wind tunnels, the Ames Vertical Motion Simulator, and supercomputing centers comparable to Ames Research Center's Advanced Supercomputing Facility working alongside Oak Ridge National Laboratory and National Center for Atmospheric Research. The center maintains laboratories focused on astrobiology investigations related to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Europa Clipper planning, as well as facilities for planetary protection standards used in coordination with Jet Propulsion Laboratory and European Space Agency. Research parks adjacent to the center host small businesses, incubators, and partnerships with NASA Research Park collaborators including San Jose State University and IBM.

Research Programs

Ames conducts multidisciplinary programs spanning aeronautics research, planetary science, astrobiology, and information technology. Aeronautics programs target high-lift aerodynamics, unmanned aerial systems with ties to DARPA initiatives, and computational fluid dynamics used by Airbus and Northrop Grumman. Planetary science efforts support instrumentation for Mars Science Laboratory, Cassini–Huygens, and sample-return concept studies related to OSIRIS-REx and Mars 2020 (Perseverance). Astrobiology teams collaborate with SETI Institute and study extremophiles linked to Viking program heritage. Information technology work includes cloud computing and big data analytics connected to Kepler space telescope data pipelines and machine learning research in partnership with Intel and Microsoft Research. Environmental monitoring and Earth science activities coordinate with NOAA and satellite programs such as Landsat and MODIS.

Aircraft and Flight Testing

Ames’ flight testing includes use of research aircraft like the WB-57, the SR-71 Blackbird-era facilities heritage, and support for unmanned systems prototypes developed with DARPA and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contractors. The center’s wind tunnels have supported designs used by Boeing 747, Lockheed SR-71, and subsonic research benefiting Airbus A320 derivatives. Flight simulation capabilities in the Ames Vertical Motion Simulator have aided crew training for Space Shuttle approaches, rotorcraft research relevant to Sikorsky Aircraft, and handling qualities assessments used by Bell Helicopter Textron. Partnerships with NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and Langley Research Center enable cross-center flight test campaigns, and Ames provides telemetry, avionics testing, and aerodynamic modeling for both civil and defense-related aerospace programs including vendors like Pratt & Whitney and General Electric.

Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Ames has an active technology transfer program facilitating commercialization of innovations in sensors, materials, and computing. Spin-offs and licensed technologies have gone to firms such as Google (hardware collaborations at Moffett Field), Intuitive Machines, and startups emerging from NASA Research Park incubators. The center’s work on thermal protection, instrumentation, and planetary entry guidance influenced commercial spacecraft efforts by Sierra Nevada Corporation and SpaceX. Collaborative agreements like Cooperative Research and Development Agreements connect Ames with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and university partners including San Jose State University Research Foundation to move inventions into industry. The Small Business Innovation Research program at Ames supports companies pursuing contracts with agencies such as Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health.

Education and Public Outreach

Ames conducts education programs with partners such as NASA Ames Research Center Education Office initiatives, though partnerships extend to San Jose State University and Stanford University for internships, fellowships, and the NASA Internships and Fellowships Program. Public outreach includes visitor programs associated with Moffett Field Historical Society, exhibits referencing missions like Voyager program and Mars Pathfinder, and collaborations with the Exploratorium and California Academy of Sciences. K–12 STEM initiatives at Ames engage students through robotics competitions, citizen science projects tied to SETI Institute activities, and public lectures featuring researchers involved with Kepler space telescope and Mars Science Laboratory.

Category:NASA centers