NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has appointed Troy Asher as director of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Asher, a veteran test pilot and aerospace engineer, had served as the center’s acting director since March and will now oversee its employees, operations and efforts to advance flight research and aviation technology.
“Troy has spent his career pushing the boundaries of flight, both in controlling experimental aircraft and in leading the teams that make these missions possible,” Isaacman said. “He understands what it takes to successfully bring an ambitious idea to flight test. His experience will be invaluable as Armstrong leads the way in rebuilding NASA’s X-Plane portfolio, restoring flight test capabilities and flying higher, farther and faster than in recent decades.”
Leading NASA’s flight research center
As NASA’s Flight Test and Aircraft Operations Center of Excellence, Armstrong plays a central role in developing experimental aircraft and technologies that push the limits of high-speed flight and shape the future of aviation. The center also supports aeronautical science missions and flight research for government agencies.
Asher will lead NASA’s work to expand its X-Plane portfolio, advance aircraft operations and develop new aviation technologies. Before becoming acting director, he served as director of flight operations for Armstrong Aviation, overseeing the center’s pilots, engineers, mechanics and specialized aircraft used for aviation research and science missions around the world.
“Flight test requires the rare combination of technical excellence, operational judgment, and team trust that makes any mission possible,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s deputy administrator and chief engineer. “From his distinguished career as an Air Force test pilot to his leadership of some of NASA’s most challenging flight research missions, Troy’s contributions to America exemplify that quality. Few people better understand the art and discipline of flight testing. As director, Troy will help us revolutionize the way we develop, evaluate and fly new technologies, and strengthen our ability to keep NASA at the forefront of aerospace research.”
Test pilot and aerospace engineer
Asher joined NASA in 2008 as a research test pilot and aerospace engineer. He conducted flight research aboard aircraft including the F-15, F/A-18, Gulfstream III and X-56A unmanned aircraft system.
He was the lead test pilot for development of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, flew scientific research missions aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and supported aeronautical science campaigns around the world.
Before joining NASA, Asher completed a 24-year career in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. His military assignments included serving as an instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, commander of the 419th Flight Test Squadron and director of the Bomber Joint Test Force. In 2003, he set 25 world speed records while flying a B-1B bomber.
Asher earned a bachelor’s degree in space engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from California State University, Fresno.
He succeeds Bradley Frick, who retired in March after nearly 40 years with NASA.
A legacy of flight research
Founded in 1946, Armstrong has been at the forefront of U.S. flight research for 80 years. Its work has included the first supersonic flight with the Bell X-1 and continues today with NASA’s X-59, which is designed to advance quiet supersonic flight.
The center continues to expand the boundaries of aviation while providing flight research and operational capabilities for NASA’s science, technology and exploration missions.
Source: www.nasa.gov