What NASA director, from Armstrong Flight Research Center, announced their retirement on March 19, 2026, after a nearly 40-year career?

Bradley Flick, the esteemed director of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, is indeed retiring on March 19, 2026, marking the conclusion of an impressive career spanning nearly four decades. His journey with NASA began in 1986 as a flight systems engineer, and he steadily ascended through various leadership roles before being appointed center director on December 5, 2022.

Flick's extensive career has been integral to significant advancements in aeronautics and flight research. He started as a flight systems engineer on the F/A-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) project, where he played a lead role in developing experimental systems like the thrust vectoring control system and emergency electrical and hydraulic systems. He also served as mission controller on approximately 100 HARV research flights. His tenure at NASA Armstrong has been bookended by groundbreaking projects such as the X-29 forward-swept wing aircraft and the recent first flight of the X-59 quiet supersonic technology aircraft.

NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, under Flick's leadership, has continued its vital role as the agency's primary site for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and testing. The center is known for its contributions to numerous aviation firsts and its ongoing efforts to accelerate advances in science, technology, and exploration. Flick's retirement signifies the end of an era for a dedicated leader who helped shape the future of flight research.