Moffett Field History

Aerial view of Moffett Field in 1938.

In 1939 the NACA established the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at Moffett Field, located on the border of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, California. Through time, Moffett Field has hosted the Army Air Corps, Navy, NATS, MATS, NASA, and the National Guard. Since 1994 NASA has served as custodian of Moffett Field ("Moffett Federal Airfield").

The NASA Ames Historic Preservation Office coordinates with state and federal agencies on historic preservation issues related to historic places, historic landmarks and historic districts at Moffett Field. See a brief history of Moffett Field prepared by the office titled, "Moffett Field History: 1933 - Today".

The Moffett Field Historical Society and Museum preserves historical artifacts from the Navy and Army at Moffett Field. Its goal is to capture the heritage of Moffett Field and to pass this information on to future generations.

Historic Hangar One was slated to become SpaceWorld Hangar One, a planned interactive space and science center, but polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in the building which, due to their toxicity to humans and the environment, must be remediated or contained. The US Navy, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and other community stakeholders, is in the process of determining how best to remove the threat the hangar poses to the public and the environment. At this juncture, the decision to either tear down or clean up Hangar One has not been reached. More information is available from NASA Ames Environmental Services.