The Ames Research Center (ARC), also known
as NASA Ames, is a major NASA research center
at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's
Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1939 as
the second National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics (NACA) laboratory. That agency
was dissolved and its assets and personnel
transferred to the newly created National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
on October 1, 1958. NASA Ames is named in
honor of Joseph Sweetman Ames, a physicist
and one of the founding members of NACA. At
last estimate NASA Ames has over US$3 billion
in capital equipment, 2,300 research personnel
and a US$860 million annual budget.
Ames was founded to conduct wind-tunnel research
on the aerodynamics of propeller-driven aircraft;
however, its role has expanded to encompass
spaceflight and information technology. Ames
plays a role in many NASA missions. It provides
leadership in astrobiology; small satellites;
robotic lunar exploration; the search for
habitable planets; supercomputing; intelligent/adaptive
systems; advanced thermal protection; and
airborne astronomy. Ames also develops tools
for a safer, more efficient national airspace.
The center's current director is Eugene Tu.The
site is mission center for several key current
missions (Kepler, the Stratospheric Observatory
for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), Interface
Region Imaging Spectrograph) and a major contributor
to the "new exploration focus" as a participant
in the Orion crew exploration vehicle.
== Missions ==
Although Ames is a NASA Research Center, and
not a flight center, it has nevertheless been
closely involved in a number of astronomy
and space missions.
The Pioneer program's eight successful space
missions from 1965 to 1978 were managed by
Charles Hall at Ames, initially aimed at the
inner Solar System. By 1972, it supported
the bold flyby missions to Jupiter and Saturn
with Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11. Those two
missions were trail blazers (radiation environment,
new moons, gravity-assist flybys) for the
planners of the more complex Voyager 1 and
Voyager 2 missions, launched five years later.
In 1978, the end of the program brought about
a return to the inner solar system, with the
Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Multiprobe, this
time using orbital insertion rather than flyby
missions.
Lunar Prospector was the third mission selected
by NASA for full development and construction
as part of the Discovery Program. At a cost
of $62.8 million, the 19-month mission was
put into a low polar orbit of the Moon, accomplishing
mapping of surface composition and possible
polar ice deposits, measurements of magnetic
and gravity fields, and study of lunar outgassing
events. Based on Lunar Prospector Neutron
Spectrometer (NS) data, mission scientists
have determined that there is indeed water
ice in the polar craters of the Moon. The
mission ended July 31, 1999 when the orbiter
was guided to an impact into a crater near
the lunar south pole in an (unsuccessful)
attempt to analyze lunar polar water by vaporizing
it to allow spectroscopic characterization
from Earth telescopes.
The 11-pound (5 kg) GeneSat-1, carrying bacteria
inside a miniature laboratory, was launched
on December 16, 2006. The very small NASA
satellite has proven that scientists can quickly
design and launch a new class of inexpensive
spacecraft—and conduct significant science.The
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite
(LCROSS) mission to look for water on the
Moon was a 'secondary payload spacecraft.'
LCROSS began its trip to the Moon on the same
rocket as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
(LRO), which continues to conduct a different
lunar task. It launched in April 2009 on an
Atlas V rocket from Kennedy Space Center,
Florida.
The Kepler mission was NASA's first mission
capable of finding Earth-size and smaller
planets. The Kepler mission monitored the
brightness of stars to find planets that pass
in front of them during the planets' orbits.
During such passes or 'transits,' the planets
will slightly decrease the star's brightness.
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
(SOFIA) is a joint venture of the U.S. and
German aerospace agencies, NASA and the German
Aerospace Center (DLR) to make an infrared
telescope platform that can fly at altitudes
high enough to be in the infrared-transparent
regime above the water vapor in the Earth's
atmosphere. The aircraft is supplied by the
U.S., and the infrared telescope by Germany.
Modifications of the Boeing 747SP airframe
to accommodate the telescope, mission-unique
equipment and large external door were made
by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of
Waco, Texas.The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph
mission is a partnership with the Lockheed
Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory to
understand the processes at the boundary between
the Sun's chromosphere and corona. This mission
is sponsored by the NASA Small Explorer program.
The Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer
(LADEE) mission has been developed by NASA
Ames. This successfully launched to the Moon
on September 6, 2013.In addition, Ames has
played a support role in a number of missions,
most notably the Mars Pathfinder and Mars
Exploration Rover missions, where the Ames
Intelligent Robotics Laboratory played a key
role. NASA Ames was a partner on the Mars
Phoenix, a Mars Scout Program mission to send
a high-latitude lander to Mars, deployed a
robotic arm to dig trenches up to 1.6 feet
(one half meter) into the layers of water
ice and analyzing the soil composition. Ames
is also a partner on the Mars Science Laboratory
and its Curiosity rover, a next generation
Mars rover to explore for signs of organics
and complex molecules.
== Air traffic control automation research
==
The Aviation Systems Division conducts research
and development in two primary areas: air
traffic management, and high-fidelity flight
simulation. For air traffic management, researchers
are creating and testing concepts to allow
for up to three times today's level of aircraft
in the national airspace. Automation and its
attendant safety consequences are key foundations
of the concept development. Historically,
the division has developed products that have
been implemented for the flying public, such
as the Traffic Management Advisor, which is
being deployed nationwide. For high-fidelity
flight simulation, the division operates the
world's largest flight simulator (the Vertical
Motion Simulator), a Level-D 747-400 simulator,
and a panoramic air traffic control tower
simulator. These simulators have been used
for a variety of purposes including continued
training for Space Shuttle pilots, development
of future spacecraft handling qualities, helicopter
control system testing, Joint Strike Fighter
evaluations, and accident investigations.
Personnel in the division have a variety of
technical backgrounds, including guidance
and control, flight mechanics, flight simulation,
and computer science. Customers outside NASA
have included the FAA, DOD, DHS, DOT, NTSB,
Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.
The center's flight simulation and guidance
laboratory was listed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 2017.
== Information technology ==
Ames is the home of NASA's large research
and development divisions in Advanced Supercomputing,
Human Factors, and Artificial Intelligence
(Intelligent Systems). These Research & Development
organizations support NASA's Exploration efforts,
as well as the continued operations of the
International Space Station, and the space
science and Aeronautics work across NASA.
The center also runs and maintains the E Root
nameserver of the DNS System.
The Intelligent Systems Division is NASA's
leading R&D Division developing advanced intelligent
software and systems for all of NASA Mission
Directorates. It provides software expertise
for aeronautics, space science missions, International
Space Station, and the Crewed Exploration
Vehicle (CEV).
The first AI in space (Deep Space 1) was developed
from Code TI, as is the MAPGEN software that
daily plans the activities for the Mars Exploration
Rovers, the same core reasoner is used for
Ensemble to operate Phoenix Lander, and the
planning system for the International Space
Station's solar arrays. Integrated System
Health Management for the International Space
Station's control moment gyroscopes, collaborative
systems with semantic search tools, and robust
software engineering round out the scope of
Code TI's work.
The Human Systems Integration Division "advances
human-centered design and operations of complex
aerospace systems through analysis, experimentation,
and modelling of human performance and human-automation
interaction to make dramatic improvements
in safety, efficiency and mission success".
For decades, the Human Systems Integration
Division has been on the leading edge of human-centered
aerospace research. The Division is home to
over 100 researchers, contractors and administrative
staff.
Ames operates one of the world's fastest supercomputers,
Pleiades, which will be further enhanced and
was scheduled to reach 10 petaflops of processing
power by 2012.
In September 2009, Ames launched NEBULA as
a fast and powerful Cloud Computing Platform
to handle NASA's massive data sets that complied
with security requirements. This innovative
pilot uses open-source components, complies
with FISMA and can scale to Government-sized
demands while being extremely energy efficient.
In July 2010, NASA CTO Chris C. Kemp open
sourced Nova, the technology behind the NEBULA
Project in collaboration with Rackspace, launching
OpenStack. OpenStack has subsequently become
one of the largest and fastest growing open
source projects in the history of computing,
and as of 2014 has been included in most major
distributions of linux including Red Hat,
Oracle, HP, SUSE, and Canonical.
== Image processing ==
NASA Ames was one of the first locations to
conduct research on image processing of satellite-platform
aerial photography. Some of the pioneering
techniques of contrast enhancement using Fourier
analysis were developed at Ames in conjunction
with researchers at ESL Inc.
== Wind tunnels ==
The NASA Ames Research Center wind tunnels
are known not only for their immense size,
but also for their diverse characteristics
that enable various kinds of scientific and
engineering research.
=== ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel ===
The Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) was completed
in 1956 at a cost of $27 million under the
Unitary Plan Act of 1949. Since its completion,
the UPWT facility has been the most heavily
used NASA wind tunnel. Every major commercial
transport and almost every military jet built
in the United States over the last 40 years
has been tested in this facility. Mercury,
Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft, as well as
Space Shuttle models, were also tested in
this tunnel complex.
=== National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex
(NFAC) ===
Ames Research Center also houses the world's
largest wind tunnel, part of the National
Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC): it
is large enough to test full-sized planes,
rather than scale models. The complex of wind
tunnels was listed on the National Register
in 2017.
The 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel circuit was
originally constructed in the 1940s and is
now capable of providing test velocities up
to 300 knots (560 km/h; 350 mph). It is used
to support an active research program in aerodynamics,
dynamics, model noise, and full-scale aircraft
and their components. The aerodynamic characteristics
of new configurations are investigated with
an emphasis on estimating the accuracy of
computational methods. The tunnel is also
used to investigate the aeromechanical stability
boundaries of advanced rotorcraft and rotor-fuselage
interactions. Stability and control derivatives
are also determined, including the static
and dynamic characteristics of new aircraft
configurations. The acoustic characteristics
of most of the full-scale vehicles are also
determined, as well as acoustic research aimed
at discovering and reducing aerodynamic sources
of noise. In addition to the normal data gathering
methods (e.g., balance system, pressure measuring
transducers, and temperature sensing thermocouples),
state-of-the-art, non-intrusive instrumentation
(e.g., laser velocimeters and shadowgraphs)
are available to help determine flow direction
and velocity in and around the lifting surfaces
of aircraft. The 40 by 80 Foot Wind Tunnel
is primarily used for determining the low-
and medium-speed aerodynamic characteristics
of high-performance aircraft, rotorcraft,
and fixed wing, powered-lift V/STOL aircraft.
The 80 by 120 Foot Wind Tunnel is the world's
largest wind tunnel test section. This open
circuit leg was added and a new fan drive
system was installed in the 1980s. It is currently
capable of air speeds up to 100 knots (190
km/h; 120 mph). This section is used in similar
ways to the 40 by 80 foot section, but it
is capable of testing larger aircraft, albeit
at slower speeds. Some of the test programs
that have come through the 80 by 120 Foot
include: F-18 High Angle of Attack Vehicle,
DARPA/Lockheed Common Affordable Lightweight
Fighter, XV-15 Tilt Rotor, and Advance Recovery
System Parafoil. The 80 by 120 foot test section
is capable of testing a full size Boeing 737.
Although decommissioned by NASA in 2003, the
NFAC is now being operated by the United States
Air Force as a satellite facility of the Arnold
Engineering Development Complex (AEDC).
== Arc Jet Complex ==
The Ames Arc Jet Complex is an advanced thermophysics
facility where sustained hypersonic- and hyperthermal
testing of vehicular thermoprotective systems
takes place under a variety of simulated flight-
and re-entry conditions. Of its seven available
test bays, four currently contain Arc Jet
units of differing configurations, serviced
by common facility support equipment. These
are the Aerodynamic Heating Facility (AHF),
the Turbulent Flow Duct (TFD), the Panel Test
Facility (PTF), and the Interaction Heating
Facility (IHF). The support equipment includes
two D.C. power supplies, a steam ejector-driven
vacuum system, a water-cooling system, high-pressure
gas systems, data acquisition system, and
other auxiliary systems.
The magnitude and capacity of these systems
makes the Ames Arc Jet Complex unique. The
largest power supply can deliver 75 megawatts
(MW) for a 30-minute duration or 150 MW for
a 15-second duration. This power capacity,
in combination with a high-volume 5-stage
steam ejector vacuum-pumping system, enables
facility operations to match high-altitude
atmospheric flight conditions with samples
of relatively large size. The Thermo-Physics
Facilities Branch operates four arc jet facilities.
The Interaction Heating Facility (IHF), with
an available power of over 60-MW, is one of
the highest-power arc jets available. It is
a very flexible facility, capable of long
run times of up to one hour, and able to test
large samples in both a stagnation and flat
plate configuration. The Panel Test Facility
(PTF) uses a unique semielliptic nozzle for
testing panel sections. Powered by a 20-MW
arc heater, the PTF can perform tests on samples
for up to 20 minutes. The Turbulent Flow Duct
provides supersonic, turbulent high temperature
air flows over flat surfaces. The TFD is powered
by a 20-MW Hüls arc heater and can test samples
203 by 508 millimeters (8.0 by 20.0 in) in
size. The Aerodynamic Heating Facility (AHF)
has similar characteristics to the IHF arc
heater, offering a wide range of operating
conditions, samples sizes and extended test
times. A cold-air-mixing plenum allows for
simulations of ascent or high-speed flight
conditions. Catalycity studies using air or
nitrogen can be performed in this flexible
rig. A 5-arm model support system allows the
user to maximize testing efficiency. The AHF
can be configured with either a Hüls or segmented
arc heater, up to 20-MW. 1 MW is enough power
to supply 750 homes.
The Arc Jet Complex was listed on the National
Register in 2017.
== Range complex ==
=== 
Ames Vertical Gun Range ===
The Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR) was designed
to conduct scientific studies of lunar impact
processes in support of the Apollo missions.
In 1979, it was established as a National
Facility, funded through the Planetary Geology
and Geophysics Program. In 1995, increased
scientific needs across various disciplines
resulted in joint core funding by three different
science programs at NASA Headquarters (Planetary
Geology and Geophysics, Exobiology, and Solar
System Origins). In addition, the AVGR provides
programmatic support for various proposed
and ongoing planetary missions (e.g. Stardust,
Deep Impact).
Using its 0.30 cal light-gas gun and powder
gun, the AVGR can launch projectiles to velocities
ranging from 500 to 7,000 m/s (1,600 to 23,000
ft/s; 1,100 to 15,700 mph). By varying the
gun's angle of elevation with respect to the
target vacuum chamber, impact angles from
0° to 90° relative to the gravitational
vector are possible. This unique feature is
extremely important in the study of crater
formation processes.
The target chamber is approximately 2.5 meters
(8 ft 2 in) in diameter and height and can
accommodate a wide variety of targets and
mounting fixtures. It can maintain vacuum
levels below 0.03 torrs (4.0 Pa), or can be
back filled with various gases to simulate
different planetary atmospheres. Impact events
are typically recorded with high-speed video/film,
or Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).
=== Hypervelocity Free-Flight Range ===
The Hypervelocity Free-Flight (HFF) Range
currently comprises two active facilities:
the Aerodynamic Facility (HFFAF) and the Gun
Development Facility (HFFGDF). The HFFAF is
a combined Ballistic Range and Shock-tube
Driven Wind Tunnel. Its primary purpose is
to examine the aerodynamic characteristics
and flow-field structural details of free-flying
aeroballistic models.
The HFFAF has a test section equipped with
16 shadowgraph-imaging stations. Each station
can be used to capture an orthogonal pair
of images of a hypervelocity model in flight.
These images, combined with the recorded flight
time history, can be used to obtain critical
aerodynamic parameters such as lift, drag,
static and dynamic stability, flow characteristics,
and pitching moment coefficients. For very
high Mach number (M > 25) simulations, models
can be launched into a counter-flowing gas
stream generated by the shock tube. The facility
can also be configured for hypervelocity impact
testing and has an aerothermodynamic capability
as well. The HFFAF is currently configured
to operate the 1.5 inches (38 mm) light-gas
gun in support of continuing thermal imaging
and transition research for NASA's hypersonics
program.
The HFFGDF is used for gun performance enhancement
studies, and occasional impact testing. The
Facility uses the same arsenal of light-gas
and powder guns as the HFFAF to accelerate
particles that range in size from 3.2 to 25.4
millimeters (0.13 to 1.00 in) diameter to
velocities ranging from 0.5 to 8.5 km/s (1,100
to 19,000 mph). Most of the research effort
to date has centered on Earth atmosphere entry
configurations (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and
Shuttle), planetary entry designs (Viking,
Pioneer Venus, Galileo and MSL), and aerobraking
(AFE) configurations. The facility has also
been used for scramjet propulsion studies
(National Aerospace Plane (NASP)) and meteoroid/orbital
debris impact studies (Space Station and RLV).
In 2004, the facility was utilized for foam-debris
dynamics testing in support of the Return
To Flight effort. As of March 2007, the GDF
has been reconfigured to operate a cold gas
gun for subsonic CEV capsule aerodynamics.
=== Electric Arc Shock Tube ===
The Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) Facility
is used to investigate the effects of radiation
and ionization that occur during very high
velocity atmospheric entries. In addition,
the EAST can also provide air-blast simulations
requiring the strongest possible shock generation
in air at an initial pressure loading of 1
standard atmosphere (100 kPa) or greater.
The facility has three separate driver configurations,
to meet a range of test requirements: the
driver can be connected to a diaphragm station
of either a 102 millimeters (4.0 in) or a
610 millimeters (24 in) shock tube, and the
high-pressure 102 millimeters (4.0 in) shock
tube can also drive a 762 millimeters (30.0
in) shock tunnel. Energy for the drivers is
supplied by a 1.25-MJ-capacitor storage system.
== United States Geological Survey (USGS)
==
In September 2016, the United States Geological
Survey (USGS) announced plans to relocate
its West Coast science center from nearby
Menlo Park to the Ames Research Center at
Moffett Field. The relocation is expected
to take five years and will begin in 2017
with 175 of the USGS employees moving to Moffett.
The relocation is designed to save money on
the $7.5 million annual rent the USGS pays
for its Menlo Park campus. The land in Menlo
Park is owned by the General Services Administration,
which is required by federal law to charge
market-rate rent.
== Education ==
=== 
NASA Ames Exploration Center ===
The NASA Ames Exploration Center is a science
museum and education center for NASA. There
are displays and interactive exhibits about
NASA technology, missions and space exploration.
A Moon rock, meteorite, and other geologic
samples are on display. The theater shows
movies with footage from NASA's explorations
of Mars and the planets, and about the contributions
of the scientists at Ames. The facility is
free and open to the public Tuesday through
Friday from 10 a.m to 4 p.m and on Saturday
and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
=== Robotics Alliance Project ===
In 1999, Mark León developed NASA's Robotics
Education Project — now called the Robotics
Alliance Project — under his mentor Dave
Lavery, which has reached over 100,000 students
nationwide using FIRST robotics and BOTBALL
robotics competitions. The Project's FIRST
branch originally comprised FRC Team 254:
"The Cheesy Poofs", an all-male team from
Bellarmine High School in San José, California.
In 2006, Team 1868: "The Space Cookies", an
all-female team, was founded in collaboration
with the Girl Scouts. In 2012, Team 971: "Spartan
Robotics" of Mountain View High School joined
the Project, though the team continues to
operate at their school. All three teams are
highly decorated. All three have won Regional
competitions, two have won the FIRST Championship,
two have won the Regional Chairman's Award,
and one is a Hall of Fame team. The three
teams are collectively referred to as "House
teams".
The mission of the project is "To create a
human, technical, and programmatic resource
of robotics capabilities to enable the implementation
of future robotic space exploration missions."
== 
Recent events ==
Although the Bush administration slightly
increased funding for NASA overall, the substantial
realignment in research priorities that followed
the announcement of the Vision for Space Exploration
in 2004 led to a significant number of layoffs
at Ames.
On October 22, 2006, NASA opened the Carl
Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the
Cosmos. The center continued work that Sagan
undertook, including the Search for Extraterrestrial
Intelligence.
In 2008, the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery
Project (LOIRP) was given space in the old
McDonald's (the building was renamed McMoons)
to digitize data tapes from the five 1966
and 1967 Lunar Orbiter spacecraft that were
sent to the Moon.
Also in 2008, it was announced that former
Ames director Henry McDonald was a 60th Anniversary
Class inductee of the Ames Hall of Fame for
providing, "...exceptional leadership and
keen technical insight to NASA Ames as the
Center re-invented itself in the late 1990s."
In 2010, scientists at the Fluid Mechanics
Laboratory at Ames studied the aerodynamics
of the Jabulani World Cup soccer ball, concluding
that it tends to "knuckle under" at speeds
of 45 to 50 miles per hour (72 to 80 km/h).
Aerospace engineer Rabi Mehta attributed this
effect to asymmetric flow due to the ball's
seam construction.In March 2015, scientists
at Ames announced that they had synthesized
"...uracil, cytosine, and thymine, all three
components of RNA and DNA, non-biologically
in a laboratory under conditions found in
space."
== Public-private partnerships ==
The federal government has re-tasked portions
of the facility and human resources to support
private sector industry, research, and education.
HP became the first corporate affiliate of
a new Bio-Info-Nano Research and Development
Institute (BIN-RDI); a collaborative venture
established by the University of California
Santa Cruz and NASA, based at Ames. The Bio|Info|Nano
R&D Institute is dedicated to creating scientific
breakthroughs by the convergence of biotechnology,
information technology, and nanotechnology.
Singularity University hosts its leadership
and educational program at the facility. The
Organ Preservation Alliance[1] is also headquartered
there; the Alliance is a nonprofit organization
that works in partnership with the Methuselah
Foundation's New Organ Prize "to catalyze
breakthroughs on the remaining obstacles towards
the long-term storage of organs" to overcome
the drastic unmet medical need for viable
organs for transplantation. Kleenspeed Technologies
is headquartered there.
=== Google ===
On September 28, 2005, Google and Ames Research
Center disclosed details to a long-term research
partnership. In addition to pooling engineering
talent, Google planned to build a 1,000,000-square-foot
(9.3 ha) facility on the ARC campus. One of
the projects between Ames, Google, and Carnegie
Mellon University is the Gigapan Project—a
robotic platform for creating, sharing, and
annotating terrestrial gigapixel images. The
Planetary Content Project seeks to integrate
and improve the data that Google uses for
its Google Moon and Google Mars projects.
On June 4, 2008, Google announced it had leased
42 acres (170,000 m2) from NASA, at Moffett
Field, for use as office space and employee
housing.Construction of the new Google project
which is near Google's Googleplex headquarters
began in 2013 and has a target opening date
of 2015. It is called "Bay View" as it overlooks
San Francisco Bay.
In May 2013, Google Inc announced that it
was launching the Quantum Artificial Intelligence
Lab, to be hosted by NASA's Ames Research
Center. The lab will house a 512-qubit quantum
computer from D-Wave Systems, and the USRA
(Universities Space Research Association)
will invite researchers from around the world
to share time on it. The goal being to study
how quantum computing might advance machine
learning.Announced on 10 November 2014, Planetary
Ventures LLC (a Google subsidiary) will lease
the Moffett Federal Airfield from NASA Ames,
a site of about 1,000 acres formerly costing
the agency $6.3 million annually in maintenance
and operation costs. The lease includes the
restoration of the site's historic landmark
Hangar One, as well as hangars Two and Three.
The lease went into effect in March 2015,
and spans 60 years.
== Living and working at Ames ==
There are a myriad of activities inside the
research center and around for full-time workers
and interns alike. There was a Parcourse trail,
also known as a fitness trail inside the base,
but sections of it are inaccessible due to
changes in base layout since it was installed.
An official NASA ID is required to enter Ames.
== See also ==
NASA Research Park
Pleiades (supercomputer)
National Register of Historic Places listings
in Santa Clara County, California
