Audit of Wind Tunnel Utilization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General Washington, D.C. 20546-0001 Reply to Attn of: W September 26, 2003 TO: R/Acting Associate Administrator for Aerospace Technology ARC/D/Director, Ames Research Center GRC/0100/Director, John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field LaRC/106/Director, Langley FROM: W/Assistant Inspector General for Auditing SUBJECT: Final Management Letter on Audit of Wind Tunnel Utilization Assignment Number A-03-007-00 Report Number IG-03-027 NASA’s wind tunnels are national assets that help aeronautical researchers in NASA, the Department of Defense, and industry to understand the forces acting on an object as it moves through the atmosphere. In FY 2002, the Agency spent about $102 million in providing wind tunnel services at the Ames Research Center (Ames), Glenn Research Center (Glenn), and Langley Research Center (Langley). We conducted this audit to identify the historical use of NASA wind tunnels, gather information about planning and projections for wind tunnel utilization, compare historical use to planning and projections, and identify the number of wind tunnels mothballed or abandoned within the last 10 years. Additionally, we used the results of our work to augment the RAND Corporation’s congressionally mandated Study of NASA's Aeronautical Test and Evaluation ...