Effect of the Proposed Closure of NASA's Subsonic Wind Tunnels: An Assessment of Alternatives

This paper addresses the expected effect of NASA's decision to close the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) and the 12-Foot Pressure Wind Tunnel on the Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. aerospace industry. The wind tunnels in the NFAC are the largest and second largest in the world. This paper contains a brief history of the relationship between NASA and the DoD with respect to aeronautical test facilities, including an evaluation of DoD's reliance on NASA for subsonic tunnel testing and the efficacy of interagency agreements and alliances between the two organizations regarding aeronautical test facilities. The paper discusses the rationale for NASA's decision to inactivate the wind tunnels, the factors involved in declining use of the tunnels, and how NASA's full-cost recovery policy contributed to the closures. It also addresses why U.S. companies and DoD components conduct tests in foreign wind tunnels, and prioritizes and assesses eight alternatives available to DoD, including assuming responsibility for operating the tunnels, constructing replacement tunnels, using alternative tunnels, and maintaining the status quo. The author suggests establishing an independent agency to own and manage U.S. aerospace test facilities as well as the possibility of privatization. The paper emphasizes the long-term consequences of the full-cost recovery policy and the risks of increased dependence on foreign test facilities, either by choice or through failure to provide a timely response. (2 tables, 3 figures, 68 refs.) The original document contains color images.