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Before NASA and before Silicon Valley,
American aeronautics needed space to grow.
The onset of World War Two
made it clear that if the U.S.
wanted a competitive advantage in aeronautics research,
it had to expand its footprint.
In 1939,
the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the NACA,
chose Moffett Field, in California, as the new location for this effort.
Built next door to a naval airfield, the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory
had the resources and the space to develop
world-class test and research facilities.
That included the world's largest wind tunnel,
which opened in 1944.
Wind tunnels at Ames
operated around the clock.
They provided the data needed to devise quick
and practical solutions to potentially fatal problems.
Testing at Ames of the iconic P-51 Mustang
led to modifications that fixed unwanted vibrations in flight.
The formation of ice on wings
was an even more serious concern.
Ames engineers developed a system that redirected hot air
from the engine to the wings,
saving countless lives as a result.
This work earned the Collier Trophy,
the nation's highest award in aviation.
The supersonic age and the Cold War
put high-speed aeronautics and missile research
at the forefront of Ames activities.
Test pilots flew the most
unique aircraft ever built.
Researchers continued to build innovative wind tunnels.
And revolutionary insights from flight research
produced breakthroughs that made it possible
to safely return humans from space.
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