The Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California focuses on testing aeronautics concepts and navigation systems. The team utilizes small, remotely piloted, and autonomous aircraft to evaluate technologies that are difficult or costly to test at full scale.
Engineers at the lab are currently testing the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) system. Developed at the Johnson Space Center, this guidance and navigation technology is designed to assist spacecraft in detecting hazards and landing accurately during future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The core team consists of chief engineer Derek Abramson, chief pilot Justin Hall, and drone pilot Justin Link. They are responsible for integrating new aerospace technologies into the laboratory’s fleet and designing custom flight experiments. The team members have over a decade of experience working at NASA.
Abramson brings expertise in system design and technical oversight from his background in the U.S. Navy and aerospace industry. Hall manages flight safety and technical problem-solving, while Link specializes in the fabrication of research vehicles and composite materials, drawing on over 11 years of experience with large drones.
