A NASA feature published Sept. 16, 2026, profiles three staff at the Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Chief engineer Derek Abramson, chief pilot Justin Hall and drone pilot Justin Link each built radio-controlled aircraft in their youth before joining NASA more than a decade ago, the agency said.

The lab supports research using small remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft, allowing engineers to test ideas that could be difficult, risky or expensive at full scale, according to NASA. The article describes work ranging from advanced navigation for future Moon and Mars landings to emerging aeronautics concepts needing quick, low-cost evaluation.

NASA said the Alta-X drone carries the SPLICE experiment, developed by researchers at Johnson Space Center in Houston, intended to help spacecraft land precisely and detect and avoid hazards. A caption accompanying the article says the photo was taken Aug. 27, 2026, as the team sought air traffic control clearance near the Armstrong center. NASA published the feature; its page lists an Oct. 24, 2026 update.