HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – In 1963, NASA created the gantry, an outdoor space allowing astronauts practice landing and even walking on the moon.
The gantry was used until the moon landing in 1969.
In 1972, the gantry was converted into the Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) and was used to investigate the crashworthiness of General Aviation (GA) aircraft and rotorcraft.
You can explore the NASA Langley Research Center by taking a virtual tour of the facility.