Space History Photo: Variable Density Wind Tunnel

NACA staff conduct tests on airfoils in the Variable Density Wind Tunnel. (Image credit: NACA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, taken on March 15, 1929, a quartet of NACA staff — from left to right: Eastman Jacobs, Shorty Defoe, Malvern Powell, and Harold Turner — conduct tests on airfoils in the Variable Density Tunnel. (In 1985, the Variable Density Tunnel was declared a National Historic Landmark.) Eastman Jacobs is sitting (far left) at the control panel.

The National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) was a precursor to NASA. NACA was created by Congress in 1915.

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Founded in 1958, NASA is a civilian space agency aimed at exploring the universe with space telescopes, satellites, robotic spacecraft, astronauts and more. The space agency has 10 major centers based across the U.S. and launches robotic and crewed missions from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. It's astronaut corps is based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. To follow NASA's latest mission, follow the space agency on Twitter or any other social channel, of visit: nasa.gov.