ained ▁inside ▁Edwards ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁is ▁NASA ' s ▁Arm strong ▁Fl ight ▁Research ▁Center ▁( AF RC ) ▁where ▁modern ▁aircraft ▁research ▁is ▁still ▁active ▁( e . g . ▁the ▁Bo eing ▁X - 4 5 ). ▁The ▁AF RC ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁advanced ▁aircraft . ▁Notable ▁recent ▁research ▁projects ▁include ▁the ▁Control led ▁Imp act ▁Dem on str ation ▁and ▁the ▁Linear ▁A eros pi ke ▁SR - 7 1 ▁Ex periment . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁char tered ▁to ▁research ▁and ▁test ▁advanced ▁aer onaut ics , ▁space ▁and ▁related ▁techn ologies ▁for ▁atmos pher ic ▁flight ▁operations , ▁and ▁to ▁transfer ▁those ▁techn ologies ▁to ▁industry ▁and ▁other ▁government ▁ag encies . ▁Arm strong ▁supports ▁NASA ' s ▁Earth ▁science ▁research ▁with ▁a ▁fleet ▁of ▁special ized ▁man ned ▁and ▁un mann ed ▁environmental ▁science ▁aircraft . ▁Arm strong ▁is ▁also ▁involved ▁in ▁NASA ' s ▁space ▁science ▁mission ▁by ▁man aging ▁and ▁flying ▁the ▁Str atos pher ic ▁Observ atory ▁for ▁Inf ra red ▁Astronom y . ▁The ▁center ▁is ▁named ▁for ▁Neil ▁A . ▁Arm strong , ▁an ▁American ▁astr onaut ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁to ▁walk ▁on ▁the ▁Moon . ▁Arm strong ' s ▁history ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁when ▁ 1 3 ▁engine ers ▁arrived ▁at ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Edwards ▁from ▁the ▁N AC A ▁Lang ley ▁Memorial ▁Aer onaut ical ▁Labor atory ▁in ▁Virginia ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁last ▁su person