 NASA: Langley

Hampton, VA  Hampton traces its history to The city's Old Point Comfort, home of Fort Monroe for almost 400 years, was named by the voyagers of 1607 led by Captain Christopher Newport on the mission which first established Jamestown as a British colony. Since 1952, Hampton has included the former Elizabeth City County and the incorporated town of Phoebus, consolidating by mutual agreement. After the end of the American Civil War, historic Hampton University was established here, providing an education for many of the newly freed former slaves. In the 20th century, the area became the location of Langley Air Force Base, NASA Langley Research Center, and the Virginia Air and Space Center. Hampton features many miles of waterfront and beaches.NASA

History  In just fourteen years after the Wright Brothers made their first historic powered flight -- the United States decided to establish the first civilian laboratory dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of flight. It was on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton, Va  Then came 1958 and the dawn of the space race. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which had established Langley, became NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The newly named Langley Research Center added space exploration to its repertoire.  To this day NASA Langley researchers carry on the legacy of their pioneering predecessors. Whether its testing airbags for space capsule landings, developing technologies to allow aircraft to fly at supersonic and hypersonic speeds or studying Earth's atmosphere to better understand global climate change … NASA Langley remains on the leading edge as it has since 1917.

Research  When the United States decided to return to the moon, NASA returned to where the U.S. space program started, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton, Va. NASA's Langley Research Center was the initial home of the first astronauts, the Mercury 7. Now Langley is working to design and test a new launch abort system for the next generation space capsules.  When swimwear manufacturer Speedo wanted to develop a new faster swimsuit, it called on NASA Langley's expertise in drag reduction, gained through years of studying aircraft aerodynamics. Fabric tested in a Langley wind tunnel is now being worn by champion swimmers worldwide.