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Langley Research Center

Langley Research Center

About Us

NASA's Langley Research Center is comprised of nearly 200 facilities on 764 acres in Hampton, Virginia, and employs about 3,400 civil servants and contractors. Langley works to make revolutionary improvements to aviation, expand understanding of Earth’s atmosphere and develop technology for space exploration.

What if we could improve public health with better air quality data?

Imagine knowing what’s in the air we breathe, not just in your city, but on your block. The data from the TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) satellite will create a future where citizens are much more informed about their air quality, paving the way for more accurate air quality predictions and better awareness around environmental inequalities that affect public health. 

What if we could fly coast to coast in half the time?

Imagine a world where faster-than-sound travel is possible—without all the noise. The Quesst mission reawakens the dream of commercial supersonic flight with a new aircraft that reduces loud sonic booms to quieter sonic “thumps.” In time, these advancements could revolutionize the time it takes to travel across the country for people everywhere.

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about What if we could fly coast to coast in half the time?


Flight vehicle above Earth.

ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY ✦

What if we could shorten commutes from an hour to five minutes?

Imagine a not-so-distant future where you walk out of your home and hop into an electric air taxi that quickly navigates across the city and drops you off at work. NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility team is working to create a revolutionary new air transportation system that will transform our communities with low altitude passenger transport, cargo delivery, and public service capabilities. 

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about What if we could shorten commutes from an hour to five minutes?


Render of a future city with various aircrafts in the sky.

LOFTID ✦

What if we could live on the Moon and beyond?

Imagine a future where humans live and work in permanent structures on the Moon and Mars. To make this a reality, NASA scientists are exploring ways to safely land spacecraft carrying heavy materials onto the surface of planets with a variety of atmospheric conditions to consider. LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator) is an experimental new inflatable heat shield that just might be the first step to solving that problem, eventually making multi-planetary life possible.

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about What if we could live on the Moon and beyond?


Render of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator above Mars.

SOLAR SAIL ✦

What if we could make it easier to explore space?

Imagine being able to travel farther into space than ever before, without the limitations of rocket fuel. The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) uses pressure from the sun for propulsion—just like a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail. This incredible new system creates the possibility of longer, cheaper, safer journeys of discovery into deep space. 

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about What if we could make it easier to explore space?


Advanced Composite Solar Sail System's solar sail above earth.

What do YOU wonder about?

Whether you’re curious about finding solutions to the problems we all face, have imaginative visions of what the future could be, or enjoy pondering the mysteries of the universe, we want to know what YOUR big “what ifs?” are.