New Civil Servants Sworn In at NASA Ames

NASA welcomed new civil servants at a large ceremony on August 24, 2026. The event took place at the Ames Research Center in California Silicon Valley.

NASA said the ceremony was the biggest swearing-in event hosted at Ames since the center began nearly 87 years ago. Swearing in is a formal way to promise to serve the public and accept responsibility in a government job.

New employees, their guests, NASA leaders, and center leaders attended the event. After the ceremony, the group posed for a photo inside the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex. The photo was taken in a test section called N221.

N221 is 80 feet high and 120 feet wide. It is part of a large wind-tunnel facility. The complex also has a test section that is 40 feet by 80 feet.

A wind tunnel moves air past an object that does not move. Engineers can then observe how the object may behave during flight. This kind of testing can provide useful information before an aircraft or spacecraft leaves the ground.

NASA uses the complex for aerodynamic and acoustic research. Aerodynamic research examines how air moves around a vehicle. Acoustic research looks at sound, including the noise made by a vehicle or one of its parts.

The facilities can be used with rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, spacecraft, and full-scale components. Rotorcraft include vehicles such as helicopters, while fixed-wing aircraft include airplanes with wings that stay in place.

Wind-tunnel data helps researchers study stability, performance, control, and noise. It also helps them check computer models and examine new designs before a vehicle flies. These tests may help engineers understand possible problems and improve a vehicle's design.

The ceremony connected a personal moment for new public employees with the technical work carried out at Ames. The new civil servants joined an organization that studies how vehicles may perform in the air and in space.