NASA Names Troy Asher Director of Armstrong Flight Research Center
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman named Troy Asher as director of the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 29, 2026. Asher served as acting director since March 2026, following the retirement of Bradley Flick after nearly 40 years at the agency. A former U.S. Air Force test pilot who set 25 world speed records in a B-1B bomber in 2003, Asher joined NASA in 2008 as an engineer and research test pilot. In his new role, he oversees the center's workforce, fleet, and operations. Armstrong is NASA's primary facility for flight testing, experimental aircraft development, and airborne science. Readers interested in public science and aviation may care because Armstrong leads research on experimental planes, known as X-planes, including the X-59 project designed for quiet supersonic flight. Asher will guide how the center develops and tests high-speed aviation technologies for future public and scientific use.
What was announced
On Oct. 29, 2026, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman appointed Troy Asher as director of the Armstrong Flight Research Center located in Edwards, California. Asher stepped into the role of acting director in March 2026 after Bradley Flick retired following nearly four decades at NASA.
Asher started at NASA in 2008 as a research test pilot and aerospace engineer. He previously worked as director of Flight Operations at Armstrong, managing pilots, maintainers, engineers, and aircraft. During his flying career at NASA, he flew test missions on aircraft including the F-15, F/A-18, Gulfstream III, X-56A, DC-8, and acted as lead test pilot for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy program. Prior to NASA, he spent 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he directed the Bomber Combined Test Force, commanded the 419th Flight Test Squadron, taught at the Test Pilot School, and set 25 world speed records in a B-1B bomber in 2003.
What it means
As director, Asher leads Armstrong's daily operations, staff, and research programs. Armstrong is NASA's Flight Test and Aircraft Operations Center of Excellence, founded in 1946.
The facility focuses on testing experimental aircraft, called X-planes. These projects include high-speed aviation research and quiet supersonic flight testing with the X-59 aircraft. The center also conducts airborne science missions across the agency using specialized fleets. Asher brings flight test experience from both military and civilian programs to oversee these technical operations and staff.
What the announcement does not tell us
The announcement does not state the size of Armstrong's budget or the exact number of workers Asher will oversee. It also does not outline specific schedules or milestones for ongoing projects such as the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft. NASA did not provide details on who will replace Asher in his prior role as director of Flight Operations.
How this was written
This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is NASA News Releases’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has named Troy Asher director of the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Asher, a veteran test pilot and aerospace engineer with decades of experience in flight research and operations, has served as the center’s acting director since March. “Troy has spent his career pushing the boundaries of flight, […]
Opens www.nasa.gov
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