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Ikhana Resumes Fire Mission …
NASA's Autonomous Modular Sc …
9/22/08
Description NASA's Autonomous Modular Scanner mounted on the Ikhana remotely piloted aircraft captured this thermal-infrared imagery during two passes over the Hidden wildfire during a flight over the southern Sierras about 30 miles northeast of Visalia in Central California on Sept. 19, 2008. This false-color, three-dimensional image shows unburned vegetation in green, smoke and bare areas in bluish-white and fire hot spots in yellow and red, overlaid on a Google Earth Digital Globe terrain image. Text credit: NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center > Read more about the Ikhana mission
Date 9/22/08
On the Tarmac
Space shuttle Atlantis on to …
6/3/09
Description Space shuttle Atlantis on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is parked on the tarmac of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The SCA landed at Kennedy after a more than 2,500-mile cross-country ferry flight from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett July 2, 2009
Date 6/3/09
Autonomous Formation Flight …
EC01-0267-4 Flying an Autono …
4/23/09
Description EC01-0267-4 Flying an Autonomous Formation Flight mission, two F/A-18's from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, gain altitude near Rogers Dry Lake. The Systems Research Aircraft (tail number 845) and F/A-18 tail number 847 are flying the second phase of a project that is demonstrating a 15-percent fuel savings of the trailing aircraft during cruise flight. Project goal was a 10-percent savings. The drag-reduction study mimics the formation of migrating birds. Scientists have known for years that the trailing birds require less energy than flying solo. &#8250, Read Project DescriptionSeptember 20, 2001 NASA Photo / Lori Losey
Date 4/23/09
Ikhana
NASA Aircraft Aiding Souther …
7/9/08
Description NASA Aircraft Aiding Southern California Firefighting EffortRelease: 07-57 In response to a request from the California Office of Emergency Services and the National Interagency Fire Center, NASA is flying an aircraft equipped with sophisticated infrared imaging equipment today to assist firefighters battling several of the Southern California wildfires. The Ikhana unmanned aircraft system, a Predator B modified for civil science and research missions, was launched about 8:45 a.m. PDT from its base at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. It is expected to fly over the major blazes burning in the Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs areas and possibly down into San Diego County to image wildfires raging in that area. The aircraft is controlled remotely by pilots in a ground control station at NASA Dryden. The Ikhana is carrying the Autonomous Modular Scanner, a thermal-infrared imaging system developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in Northern California. The system is capable of peering through heavy smoke and darkness to see hot spots, flames and temperature differences, processing the imagery on-board, and then transmitting that information in near real time so it can aid fire incident commanders in allocating their firefighting resources...Read more Photo Description: With smoke from the Lake Arrowhead, CA area fires streaming in the background, NASA's Ikhana unmanned aircraft heads out on a wildfire imaging mission. October 24, 2007 NASA Photo / Jim Ross ED07-0243-37
Date 7/9/08
Northrop T-38 Talon During M …
NASA Dryden's T-38 trainer a …
10/2/08
Description NASA Dryden's T-38 trainer aircraft in flight over Cuddeback Dry Lake in Southern California. Formerly at NASA's Langley Research Center, this Northrop T-38 Talon is now used for mission support and pilot proficiency at the Dryden Flight Research Center. May 5, 2006 NASA / Photo Jim Ross ED06-0072-8
Date 10/2/08
Intern Steven Humphrey
Steven Humphrey, a mechanica …
3/20/09
Description Steven Humphrey, a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of South Florida in Tampa, is interning at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center located on Edwards Air Force Base in California. He operates displays used for an interactive computer software system that gathers, retains and interprets flight data from sensors installed on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy 747SP aircraft. (NASA photo / Tom Tschida) March 18, 2009 NASA Photo ED09-0061-08
Date 3/20/09
HiMAT
EC79-12055 <b /> The HiMAT ( …
4/20/09
Description EC79-12055 <b /> The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here after landing to conclude a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft. HiMAT Project Description January 3, 1980 NASA photo
Date 4/20/09
HiMAT
EC80-14281 The HiMAT (Highly …
4/21/09
Description EC80-14281 The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here during a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft. HiMAT Project Description December 30, 1980 NASA photo
Date 4/21/09
HiMAT
ECN-14273 The HiMAT (Highly …
4/20/09
Description ECN-14273 The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here during a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft. HiMAT Project Description December 30, 1980 NASA photo
Date 4/20/09
HiMAT
ECN-14280 The HiMAT (Highly …
4/21/09
Description ECN-14280 The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here during a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft. HiMAT Project Description December 30, 1980 NASA photo
Date 4/21/09
HiMAT
ECN-14283 HiMAT Subscale Res …
4/21/09
Description ECN-14283 HiMAT Subscale Research Vehicle Mated to B-52 Mothership in Flight The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here after landing to conclude a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft. HiMAT Project Description December 30, 1980 NASA photo
Date 4/21/09
NASA's Crew Transport Vehicl …
NASA's Crew Transport Vehicl …
10/9/08
Description NASA's Crew Transport Vehicle, or CTV, pulls up to the Space Shuttle Discovery to offload the crew after a successful landing August 9, 2005 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The landing marked the end of the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. August 9, 2005 NASA / Photo Carla Thomas ED05-0166-05
Date 10/9/08
Shuttle Discovery Rests on t …
The sun rises on the Space S …
10/9/08
Description The sun rises on the Space Shuttle Discovery as it rests on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, after a safe landing August 9, 2005 to complete the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. August 9, 2005 NASA / Photo Carla Thomas ED05-0166-06
Date 10/9/08
Shuttle Discovery on the Run …
The sun rises on the Space S …
10/9/08
Description The sun rises on the Space Shuttle Discovery as it rests on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, after a safe landing August 9, 2005 to complete the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. August 9, 2005 NASA / Photo Carla Thomasa ED05-0166-07
Date 10/9/08
Shuttle Discovery, with reco …
Space Shuttle Discovery, acc …
10/9/08
Description Space Shuttle Discovery, accompanied by a convoy of recovery vehicles, is towed up the taxiway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, following its landing on August 9, 2005. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. August 9,2005 NASA /Photo Tom Tschida ED05-0166-11
Date 10/9/08
T-34C in Flight
A NASA T-34C aircraft, used …
10/10/08
Description A NASA T-34C aircraft, used for safety chase, is shown flying above the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California in March 1997. The aircraft was previously used at the Lewis Research Center in propulsion experiments involving turboprop engines, and was used as a chase aircraft at Dryden for smaller and slower research projects. March 21, 1997 NASA / Photo EC97-43987-2
Date 10/10/08
X-40A Space Manuever Vehicle
EC01-0148-21 X-40A Free Flig …
05/08/2001
Description EC01-0148-21 X-40A Free Flight #5. The unpowered X-40A, an 85 percent scale risk reduction version of the proposed X-37, proved the capability of an autonomous flight control and landing system in a series of glide flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the X-37 project. At Dryden, the X-40A underwent a series of ground and air tests to reduce possible risks to the larger X-37, including drop tests from a helicopter to check guidance and navigation systems planned for use in the X-37. The X-37 is designed to demonstrate technologies in the orbital and reentry environments for next-generation reusable launch vehicles that will increase both safety and reliability, while reducing launch costs from $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound. May 8, 2001 NASA Photo / Jim Ross
Date 05/08/2001
X-40A Space Manuever Vehicle
EC01-0070-1 The X-40A immedi …
03/14/2001
Description EC01-0070-1 The X-40A immediately after release from its harness suspended from a helicopter 15,000 feet above NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on March 14, 2001. The unpiloted X-40 is a risk-reduction vehicle for the X-37, which is intended to be a reusable space vehicle. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala, manages the X-37 project. At Dryden, the X-40A will undergo a series of ground and air tests to reduce possible risks to the larger X-37, including drop tests from a helicopter to check guidance and navigation systems planned for use in the X-37. The X-37 is designed to demonstrate technologies in the orbital and reentry environments for next-generation reusable launch vehicles that will increase both safety and reliability, while reducing launch costs from $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound. March 14, 2001 NASA Photo / Carla Thomas
Date 03/14/2001
X-40A Space Manuever Vehicle
EC01-0070-3 Wranglers steadi …
03/14/2001
Description EC01-0070-3 Wranglers steadied the X-40A at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, March 14, 2001, as the experimental craft was carried to 15,000 feet for an unpiloted glide flight. The unpiloted X-40 is a risk-reduction vehicle for the X-37, which is intended to be a reusable space vehicle. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala, manages the X-37 project. At Dryden, the X-40A will undergo a series of ground and air tests to reduce possible risks to the larger X-37, including drop tests from a helicopter to check guidance and navigation systems planned for use in the X-37. The X-37 is designed to demonstrate technologies in the orbital and reentry environments for next-generation reusable launch vehicles that will increase both safety and reliability, while reducing launch costs from $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound. March 14, 2001 NASA Photo / Tony Landis
Date 03/14/2001
X-40A Space Manuever Vehicle
EC01-0148-15 X-40A Free Flig …
05/08/2001
Description EC01-0148-15 X-40A Free Flight #5. The unpowered X-40A, an 85 percent scale risk reduction version of the proposed X-37, proved the capability of an autonomous flight control and landing system in a series of glide flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the X-37 project. At Dryden, the X-40A underwent a series of ground and air tests to reduce possible risks to the larger X-37, including drop tests from a helicopter to check guidance and navigation systems planned for use in the X-37. The X-37 is designed to demonstrate technologies in the orbital and reentry environments for next-generation reusable launch vehicles that will increase both safety and reliability, while reducing launch costs from $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound. May 8, 2001 NASA Photo / Jim Ross
Date 05/08/2001
Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW …
EC01-0076-1 Structural loads …
4/22/09
Description EC01-0076-1 Structural loads testing on the Active Aeroelastic Wing F-18 in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California &#8250, Read Project Description March 15, 2001 NASA Photo / Tom Tschida
Date 4/22/09
Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW …
EC01-0288-3 A modified F/A-1 …
4/22/09
Description EC01-0288-3 A modified F/A-18A sporting a distinctive red, white and blue paint scheme is the test aircraft for the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. &#8250, Read Project Description October 24, 2001 NASA Photo / Tony Landis
Date 4/22/09
Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW …
EC01-0288-5 A modified F/A-1 …
4/22/09
Description EC01-0288-5 A modified F/A-18A sporting a distinctive red, white and blue paint scheme is the test aircraft for the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. &#8250, Read Project Description October 24, 2001 NASA Photo / Tony Landis
Date 4/22/09
C-17 with Orion CM Aboard Ta …
ED09-0234-05 An Air Force C- …
8/19/09
Description ED09-0234-05 An Air Force C-17 operated by the Mississippi Air National Guard lifts off Runway 22L at Edwards Air Force Base in California, carrying the Orion flight test crew module from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The Orion module is slated to be used for the first Orion Launch Abort System pad abort flight test at White Sands in early 2010. August 19, 2009 NASA Photo / Tony Landis
Date 8/19/09
C-17 with Orion CM Aboard Ta …
ED09-0234-12 An Air Force C- …
8/19/09
Description ED09-0234-12 An Air Force C-17 operated by the Mississippi Air National Guard climbs into the summer sky from Edwards Air Force Base in California, carrying the Orion flight test crew module that is targeted for the first Orion Launch Abort System pad abort flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in early 2010. Installation and integration of flight test instrumentation in the module had occurred over a 16-month period in 1008-2009 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center prior to transfer of the module to White Sands. August 19, 2009 NASA Photo / Tony Landis
Date 8/19/09
Altamaha River delta, Georgi …
The history of sea islands i …
3/2/01
Date 3/2/01
Description The history of sea islands in the Altamaha River delta on the coast of Georgia is revealed in this image produced from data acquired by the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR), developed and operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The outlines of long-lost plantation rice fields, canals, dikes and other inlets are clearly defined. Salt marshes are shown in red, while dense cypress and live oak tree canopies are seen in yellow-greens. Agricultural development of the Altamaha delta began soon after the founding of the Georgia Colony in 1733. About 25 plantations were located on the low-lying islands and shores by the 19th century, taking advantage of the rich alluvial flow and annual inundation of water required by some crops. The first major crop was indigo, when demand for that faded, rice and cotton took its place. A major storm in 1824 destroyed much of the town of Darien (upper right) and put many of the islands under 20 feet of water. The Civil War ended the plantation system, and many of the island plantations disappeared under heavy brush and new growth pine forests. Some were used as tree farms for paper and pulp industries, while the Butler Island (center left) plantation became a wildlife conservation site growing wild sea rice for migrating ducks and other water fowl. Margaret Mitchell is reputed to have used the former owner of the Butler Plantation as a basis for the Rhett Butler character in her novel "Gone With The Wind," taking the first name from Rhett's Island (lower right). These data were obtained during a 1994-95 campaign along the Georgia coast. AIRSAR's ability to detect vegetation canopy density, hydrological features and other topographic characteristics is a useful tool in landscape archaeology. AIRSAR flies aboard a NASA DC-8 based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The analysis on the data shown was accomplished by Dr. Gary McKay, Department of Archaeology and Geography, and Ian Morrison, Department of Archaeology, both of the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). AIRSAR is part of NASA's Earth Enterprise program. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. More information about AIRSAR is available at http://airsar.jpl.nasa.gov . Imaging radar information is at http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov . Dr. McKay's activities can be accessed at http://www.arcl.ed.ac.uk/arch.remotesense.index.html .
NASA TV's This Week @NASA, A …
The STS-132 crew completed a …
04/30/10
Description The STS-132 crew completed a series of terminal countdown demonstration tests needed to ensure they and their grounds teams are prepared for their targeted May 14 launch aboard space shuttle Atlantis. * NASA Administrator Charles Bolden joined EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for a special Memorandum of Agreement signing event at Howard Middle School situated on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC. * To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this scientific icon, NASA has released a unique collection of Hubble images with commentary. * Operation IceBridge has entered the second phase of its spring 2010 campaign. NASA's DC-8 aircraft has returned from Greenland to the Dryden Flight Research Center in California, following a successful survey of the entire Arctic Ocean. * Weeks before ''first light'' imagery and data missions begin, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy was on display at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, California. * 49 years ago, on May 5, 1961, Mercury-Redstone 3, launched a Freedom 7 spacecraft from Launch Complex 5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Date 04/30/10
M2-F1 in Tow
Title M2-F1 in Tow
Full Description The M2-F1 lifting body is seen here being towed behind a C-47 at the Flight Research Center (later redesignated the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. The wingless, lifting body aircraft design was initially conceived as a means of landing an aircraft horizontally after atmospheric re-entry. The absence of wings would make the extreme heat of re-entry less damaging to the vehicle.
Date 01/01/1964
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
M2-F1 In Tow Flight
Title M2-F1 In Tow Flight
Full Description The M2-F1 lifting body is seen here under tow at the Flight Research Center (later redesignated the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. The wingless, lifting body aircraft design was initially conceived as a means of landing an aircraft horizontally after atmospheric reentry. The absence of wings would make the extreme heat of re-entry less damaging to the vehicle. In 1962, Dryden management approved a program to build a lightweight, unpowered lifting body as a prototype to flight test the wingless concept. It would look like a "flying bathtub," and was designated the M2-F1, the "M" referring to "manned" and "F" referring to "flight" version. It featured a plywood shell placed over a tubular steel frame crafted at Dryden. Construction was completed in 1963. The first flight tests of the M2-F1 were over Rogers Dry Lake at the end of a tow rope attached to a hopped-up Pontiac convertible driven at speeds up to about 120 mph. These initial tests produced enough flight data about the M2-F1 to proceed with flights behind a NASA C-47 tow plane at greater altitudes. The C-47 took the craft to an altitude of 12,000 feet where free flights back to Rogers Dry Lake began.
Date 01/01/1964
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
M2-F1 Pilots
Title M2-F1 Pilots
Full Description The M2-F1 lifting body aircraft rests on the sun-baked floor of a dry lake bed located out in the Mojave Desert at the Dryden Flight Research Center, California. Pilot Chuck Yeager, seated in the cockpit of the M2- F1, talks with fellow pilots from left to right Milt Thompson, Don Malick and Bruce Peterson. All three flew the lifting body in several flights. The vehicle later suffered a mishap when Peterson was landing it--the oil in the landing gear hydraulics was not suitable for cold temperatures and caused the gear to break and the vehicle to suffer minor damage.
Date 11/12/1963
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
M2-F2 Crash on Rogers Dry La …
Title M2-F2 Crash on Rogers Dry Lake
Full Description The M2-F2 lifting body aircraft crash landed on Rogers Dry Lakebed at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California on May 10, 1967.
Date 05/10/1967
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
M2-F2 Landing with F-104 Cha …
Title M2-F2 Landing with F-104 Chase Plane
Full Description The M2-F2 lifting body returns from a research flight at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, with an F-104 flying chase.
Date 11/21/1966
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
M2-F3 In-Flight Launch from …
Title M2-F3 In-Flight Launch from the B-52 Mothership
Full Description This photo shows the M2-F3 lifting body being launched from NASA's B- 52 mothership at the NASA Flight Research Center (FRC--now the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. A fleet of lifting bodies flown at the FRC from 1963 to l975 demonstrated the ability of pilots to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle designed to fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an aircraft at a pre-determined site.
Date 01/01/1971
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Paresev 1-A on Lakebed with …
Title Paresev 1-A on Lakebed with Tow Plane
Full Description The Paresev 1-A (Paraglider Research Vehicle) and the tow airplane, 450-hp Stearman Sport Biplane sitting on Rogers dry lakebed, Edwards, California. The control system in the Paresev 1-A had a more conventional control stick position and was cable-operated. The main landing gear used shocks and bungees with the 150-square-foot wing membrane being made of 6-ounce unsealed Dacron.
Date 01/01/1962
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Paresev 1-C Inflatable Wing
Title Paresev 1-C Inflatable Wing
Full Description Aboard a truck and ready for a test flight is the Paresev 1-C on the ramp at the NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The half-scale version of the inflatable Gemini parawing was pre-flighted by being carried across the Rosamond dry lakebed on the back of a truck before a tow behind an International Harvester Carry- All. The inflatable center spar ran fore and aft and measured 191 inches, two other inflatable spars formed the leading edges. The three compartments were filled with nitrogen under pressure to make them rigid. The Paresev 1-C was very unstable in flight with this configuration.
Date 01/01/1963
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Pathfinder Aircraft in Fligh …
Title Pathfinder Aircraft in Flight
Full Description The Pathfinder research aircraft's wing structure was clearly defined as it soared under a clear blue sky during a test flight July 27, 1995, from Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The center section and outer wing panels of the aircraft had ribs constructed of thin plastic foam, while the ribs in the inner wing panels are fabricated from lightweight composite material. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., the Pathfinder was one of several unmanned aircraft being evaluated under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. Pathfinder was a lightweight, solar-powered, remotely piloted flying wing aircraft used to demonstrate the use of solar power for long- duration, high-altitude flight. Its name denotes its mission as the "Pathfinder" or first in a series of solar-powered aircraft that will be able to remain airborne for weeks or months on scientific sampling and imaging missions. Solar arrays covered most of the upper wing surface of the Pathfinder aircraft. These arrays provided up to 8,000 watts of power at high noon on a clear summer day. That power fed the aircraft's six electric motors as well as its avionics, communications, and other electrical systems. Pathfinder also had a backup battery system that could provide power for two to five hours, allowing for limited-duration flight after dark. Pathfinder flew at airspeeds of only 15 to 20 mph. Pitch control was maintained by using tiny elevators on the trailing edge of the wing while turns and yaw control were accomplished by slowing down or speeding up the motors on the outboard sections of the wing. On September 11, 1995, Pathfinder set a new altitude record for solar- powered aircraft of 50,567 feet above Edwards Air Force Base, California, on a 12-hour flight. On July 7, 1997, it set another, unofficial record of 71,500 feet at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii. In 1998, Pathfinder was modified into the longer-winged Pathfinder Plus configuration.
Date 07/27/1995
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Pilot Joe Walker and the X-1 …
Title Pilot Joe Walker and the X-1A
Full Description Cowboy Joe (NACA High-Speed Flight Station test pilot Joseph Walker) and his steed (Bell Aircraft Corporation X-1A). A happy Joe was photographed in 1955 at Edwards, California. The X-1A was flown six times by Bell Aircraft Company pilot Jean "Skip" Ziegler in 1953. Air Force test pilots Major Charles "Chuck" Yeager and Major Arthur "Kit" Murray made 18 flights between November 21, 1953 and August 26, 1954. The X-1A was then turned over to the NACA. Joe Walker piloted the first NACA flight on July 20, 1955. Walker attemped a second flight on August 8, 1955, but an explosion damaged the aircraft just before launch. Walker, unhurt, climbed back into the JTB-29A mothership, and the X-1A was jettisoned over the Edwards AFB bombing range.
Date 01/01/1955
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Pilot Joe Walker with the X- …
Title Pilot Joe Walker with the X-1E
Full Description A photo of the nose section of the X-1E with pilot Joe Walker suited for a flight at the NASA High-Speed Flight Station, Edwards, California. The dice and Little Joe are prominently displayed under the cockpit area. NASA employees and the crew chief of the plane worked long hours preparing a craft for flight. A break from the tedious task was a welcome reprieve at times, hence the private joke between a crew and their pilot evolved. If you know the craps game you've figured it out! (Little Joe is a dice player's slang term for two deuces.)
Date 01/01/1958
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Shuttle Enterprise Free Flig …
Title Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight
Full Description The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise flies free after being released from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over Rogers Dry Lakebed during the second of five free flights carried out at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, as part of the Shuttle program's Approach and Landing Tests (ALT). The tests were conducted to verify orbiter aerodynamics and handling characteristics in preparation for orbital flights with the Space Shuttle Columbia beginning in April 1981. A tail cone over the main engine area of Enterprise smoothed out turbulent air flow during flight. It was removed on the two last free flights to accurately check approach and landing characteristics. A series of test flights during which Enterprise was taken aloft atop the SCA, but was not released, preceded the free flight tests. The Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) program allowed pilots and engineers to learn how the Space Shuttle and the modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) handled during low-speed flight and landing. The Enterprise, a prototype of the Space Shuttles, and the SCA were flown to conduct the approach and landing tests at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from February to October 1977. The first flight of the program consisted of the Space Shuttle Enterprise attached to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. These flights were to determine how well the two vehicles flew together. Five "captive-inactive" flights were flown during this first phase in which there was no crew in the Enterprise. The next series of captive flights was flown with a flight crew of two on board the prototype Space Shuttle. Only three such flights proved necessary. This led to the free-flight test series. The free-flight phase of the ALT program allowed pilots and engineers to learn how the Space Shuttle handled in low-speed flight and landing attitudes. For these landings, the Enterprise was flown by a crew of two after it was released from the top of the SCA. The vehicle was released at altitudes ranging from 19,000 to 26,000 feet. The Enterprise had no propulsion system, but its first four glides to the Rogers Dry Lake runway provided realistic, in-flight simulations of how subsequent Space Shuttles would be flown at the end of an orbital mission. The fifth approach and landing test, with the Enterprise landing on the Edwards Air Force Base concrete runway, revealed a problem with the Space Shuttle flight control system that made it susceptible to Pilot-Induced Oscillation (PIO), a potentially dangerous control problem during a landing. Further research using other NASA aircraft, especially the F-8 Digital-Fly-By-Wire aircraft, led to correction of the PIO problem before the first orbital flight. The Enterprise's last free-flight was October 26, 1977, after which it was ferried to other NASA centers for ground-based flight simulations that tested Space Shuttle systems and structure.
Date 01/01/1977
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Endeavour is Delivered to th …
Title Endeavour is Delivered to the Kennedy Space Center
Full Description NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft No. 911, with the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour securely mounted atop its fuselage, taxies to the runway to begin the ferry flight from Rockwell's Plant 42 at Palmdale, California, where the orbiter was built, to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. At Kennedy, the space vehicle was processed and launched on orbital mission STS-49, which landed at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, May 16 1992. NASA 911, the second modified 747 that went into service in November 1990, has special support struts atop the fuselage and internal strengthening to accommodate the added weight of the orbiters.
Date 01/01/1961
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Endeavour on Runway with Col …
Title Endeavour on Runway with Columbia on SCA Overhead
Full Description The Space Shuttle Endeavour receives a high-flying salute from its sister Shuttle Columbia, atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, shortly after its landing Oct. 12, 1994 at Edwards, California, to complete mission STS-68. Columbia was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida to Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo six months of inspections, modifications, and systems upgrades. The STS-68 11-day mission was devoted to radar imaging of Earth's geological features with the Space Radar Laboratory. The orbiter is surrounded by equipment and personnel that make up the ground support convoy that services the space vehicles as soon as they land.
Date 10/11/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Endeavour with Columbia Ferr …
Title Endeavour with Columbia Ferry Flyby
Full Description The Space Shuttle Endeavour receives a high-flying salute from its sister shuttle, Columbia, atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, shortly after Endeavor's landing October 12 1994, at Edwards, California, to complete mission STS-68. Columbia was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo six months of inspections, modifications, and systems upgrades. The STS-68 11-day mission was devoted to radar imaging of Earth's geological features with the Space Radar Laboratory. The orbiter is surrounded by equipment and personnel that make up the ground support convoy that services the space vehicles as soon as they land.
Date 10/12/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
ER-2 Airborne Science Aircra …
Title ER-2 Airborne Science Aircraft
Full Description First acquired in 1981, NASA has been using two ER-2 Airborne Science aircraft as flying laboratories. The aircraft once based at Ames Research Center now fly out of Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. They collect information about our surroundings, including Earth resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry, and dynamics and oceanic processes. The aircraft are also used for electronic sensor research and development, satellite calibration, and satellite data validation.
Date 1981
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
SR-71 Landing with Drag Chut …
Title SR-71 Landing with Drag Chute
Full Description One of two initial U.S. Air Force SR-71A reconnaissance aircraft that was retired from operational service and loaned to NASA for high-speed research programs arrives at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The aircraft deployed its drag chute even before its nose gear touches the runway at the end of a 1990 research flight. Dryden flew three YF-12 aircraft, prototypes of the triple-sonic SR-71s, in an earlier supersonic research program between 1969 and 1979.
Date 01/01/1990
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
SR-71 Over Snow Capped Mount …
Title SR-71 Over Snow Capped Mountains
Full Description Dryden's SR-71B, NASA 831, slices across the snowy southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California after being refueled by an Air Force Flight Test Center tanker during a recent flight. The Mach 3 aircraft are being flown by the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California as testbeds for high-speed, high-altitude aeronautical research. Capable of flying more than 2200 mph and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet, they are excellent platforms for research and experiments in aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization.
Date 01/01/1995
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
STS-26 Welcome Home Ceremony
Title STS-26 Welcome Home Ceremony
Full Description After a two-year hiatus, the STS-26 mission was NASA's return to spaceflight after the Challenger accident. Waiting to greet the STS-26 Discovery astronauts in front of the Dryden Headquarters building are, from left to right: California Governor George Deukmejian, NASA Deputy Administrator Dale Myers, NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher, Vice President George Bush, Barbara Bush, Brig. Gen (Ret) Charles Yeager.
Date 10/03/1988
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
STS-66 Atlantis Landing and …
Title STS-66 Atlantis Landing and Chute Deployment at Edwards
Full Description The Space Shuttle Atlantis lands with its drag chute deployed on runway 22 at Edwards, California, to complete the STS-66 mission dedicated to the third flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-3 (ATLAS-3), part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. The astronauts also deployed and retrieved a free-flying satellite designed to study the middle and lower thermospheres and perform a series of experiments covering life sciences research and microgravity processing. The landing was at 7:34 a.m. (PST) November 14, 1994, after being waved off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, due to adverse weather.
Date 11/14/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
STS-66 Atlantis Landing Appr …
Title STS-66 Atlantis Landing Approach at Edwards
Full Description The Space Shuttle Atlantis approaches runway 22 at Edwards, California, to complete the STS-66 mission dedicated to the third flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-3 (ATLAS-3), part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. The astronauts also deployed and retrieved a free-flying satellite designed to study the middle and lower thermospheres and perform a series of experiments covering life sciences research and microgravity processing. The landing was at 7:34 a.m. (PST) November 14, 1994, after being waved off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, due to adverse weather.
Date 11/14/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Gus Grissom & Milt Thompson …
Title Gus Grissom & Milt Thompson With Paresev
Full Description The Paresev 1-A standing Rogers Dry Lakebed at the NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Mercury Astronaut Gus Grissom is at left and NASA test pilot Milton Thompson is at right. The Paresev evaluated a potential replacement for parachutes used on spacecraft. The Paresev was steerable and was evaluated for use on the Gemini spacecraft. The idea was not workable, however.
Date 01/01/1962
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
HL-10 First Flight Landing
Title HL-10 First Flight Landing
Full Description With pilot Bruce Peterson at the controls, the HL-10 lifting body aircraft makes a successful landing on Rogers Dry Lake at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California.
Date 01/01/1966
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
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