NASA is seeking input on proposed plans to build a cryogenic hydrogen test facility that would support the development of future hydrogen-powered aircraft. The agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, issued a request for information (RFI) on January 23 calling stakeholders to chime in on the technical feasibility and “reasonableness” of the idea. 

The RFI does not include specific details about the proposed facility, such as a possible location or price tag. NASA is not seeking proposals or partnerships for the program yet. For now, the agency is just floating the idea and testing the waters. 

According to NASA, stakeholders across U.S. industry, academia, and government agencies have agreed that one of the best ways the agency can support the hydrogen sector is to facilitate the testing of cryogenic liquid hydrogen systems—an undertaking that requires significant investment in infrastructure.

“Testing with hydrogen, especially liquid and other forms of cryogenic hydrogen, is an expensive endeavor requiring a specially trained workforce and significant infrastructure investments beyond the capability of many small- and medium-sized businesses,” the RFI states.

With more than 70 years of experience working with cryogenic liquid hydrogen as well as gaseous hydrogen, NASA has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both hydrogen propulsion and storage. Its aeronautical experiments with hydrogen date back to the 1950s, when it first flew a modified B-57B Canberra bomber on liquid hydrogen. Since then, the agency has primarily used cryogenic liquid hydrogen for its space program, particularly the Saturn V rockets that launched the Apollo moon missions and the Space Shuttle’s external tanks.

To better understand the needs and requirements for the development and operation of a cryogenic hydrogen test facility—and to gauge the nation’s interest—NASA assembled a multi-center team to start gathering information. In its RFI, NASA posed a series of questions about hydrogen testing capabilities and resources to evaluate the status quo, gauge future needs, and identify any technical gaps that the agency could help fill.

Establishing a cryogenic hydrogen test facility as a national capability could help shape the U.S. as a leader in hydrogen power—not just for aircraft propulsion but also for ground-based transportation and energy storage solutions, NASA argues. “These needs may include testing at a range of scales, from material development and component characterization to full-sized aircraft,” the RFI states. 

While aircraft engine OEMs are exploring ways to power traditional engines with hydrogen combustion, several companies in the advanced air mobility sector are developing hydrogen-electric aircraft using fuel cell technology. Cryogenic hydrogen storage facilities on the ground could support the operation of either type of aircraft. In the air, however, the only practical way for aircraft to store hydrogen is in gaseous form, because cryogenic storage tanks are too big and heavy. 

Hydrogen fuel cells use gaseous hydrogen, which is lighter and simpler to store but packs significantly lower energy density than the liquid form. This makes hydrogen fuel cells better suited for small electric aircraft such as eVTOL air taxis and helicopters. 

Although NASA isn’t flying any experimental hydrogen-powered aircraft these days, the agency is actively investing in the technology to support the industry in its push to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. Earlier this month, NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program announced that a University of Illinois-led research program called Hy2PASS was among the 15 innovative projects it selected to receive 2025 NIAC Phase 1 grants. 

Hy2PASS, short for “hydrogen hybrid power for aviation sustainable systems,” aims to demonstrate a hybrid powertrain that would combine a traditional gas turbine engine with hydrogen fuel cells. 

Airports prepare for hydrogen operations

NASA’s RFI also suggests that its proposed cryogenic hydrogen testing facility would enable the development of operational procedures for airports supporting future hydrogen-powered aircraft. 

A handful of OEMs in the industry have already begun developing systems for distributing hydrogen at airports. For example, ZeroAvia, which is developing hydrogen-electric aircraft powertrains using hydrogen fuel cells, has demonstrated its hydrogen airport refueling ecosystem at a research hub in the UK. The company has partnered with Airbus on a feasibility study for hydrogen hubs at major airports in Canada, and it is working with Shell to enable hydrogen operations in The Netherlands. 

In 2024, Airbus launched a European Union-backed program called Ground Operations of Liquid Hydrogen Aircraft, or GOLIAT, which aims to develop and demonstrate hydrogen handling and refueling technologies for airports. With plans to bring a hydrogen-powered commercial airliner into service by 2035, the European airframer has been working with partners to get the necessary ground infrastructure in place. Airbus previously worked with California-based Universal Hydrogen on a modular storage and delivery system for liquid hydrogen, but that start-up ran out of cash and closed its business in July.