- NASA and its predecessor, NACA, extensively used wind tunnels to test vehicle designs throughout the 20th century.
- Specialized wind tunnels at Langley and Ames centers studied effects like high speed, turbulence, icing, and ionization.
- Some facilities were enormous, including an 80x120-foot tunnel still operating at Ames Research Center.
- In the 1990s, consolidation occurred due to surplus tunnels and advances in computer simulations, leading to demolitions.