|
|
X-1A
E-1764 The Bell Aircraft Cor
…
03/05/1955
| Description |
E-1764 The Bell Aircraft Corporation X-1A 48-1384 is photographed in 1955 sitting on the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards, California. This view of the right side of the aircraft shows a middle section that contrasts quite distinctively with the over-all white paint scheme of the X-1A during its NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station tenure. The extreme cold of the liquid oxygen used as a propellant along with alcohol and its deleterious affect on paint dictated that the fuselage area next to the tank be left unpainted. The X-1A arrived at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on January 7, 1953. Bell test pilot Jean ''Skip'' Ziegler made six test flights between 14 February and 25 April 1953. Air Force test pilots Maj. Charles ''Chuck'' Yeager and Maj. Arthur ''Kit'' Murray made 18 flights between 21 November 1953 and 26 August 1954. NACA test pilot Joe Walker made one successful flight on 20 July 1955. During a second flight attempt on 8 August 1955, an explosion damaged the aircraft shortly before launch. Walker climbed back up into the JTB-29A mothership, and the X-1A was jettisoned over the Edwards AFB bombing range.1955 NASA Photo |
| Date |
03/05/1955 |
|
X-1A
E-2490 The Bell Aircraft Cor
…
07/01/1953
| Description |
E-2490 The Bell Aircraft Corporation X-1A 48-1384 returning from an Air Force test flight over Edwards Air Force Base, California in late 1953. A North American F-86A Sabre as chase plane will follow the X-1A to touchdown. The Rogers Dry Lake is the whitish area under the planes with the airfield at the edge of the dry lake. Bell test pilot Jean ''Skip'' Ziegler made six flights between 14 February and 25 April 1953. Air Force test pilots Maj. Charles ''Chuck'' Yeager and Maj. Arthur ''Kit'' Murray made 18 test flights between 21 November 1953 and 26 August 1954. NACA test pilot Joseph Walker made one successful flight on 20 July 1955. During a second flight attempt, on 8 August 1955, an explosion damaged the aircraft shortly before launch. Walker, unhurt, climbed up into the JTB-29A mothership, and the X-1A was jettisoned over the Edwards AFB bombing range.1953 NASA Photo / NASA photo |
| Date |
07/01/1953 |
|
X-1A
E55-01799 The Bell Aircraft
…
06/04/1955
| Description |
E55-01799 The Bell Aircraft Corporation X-1A 48-1384 is photographed in July 1955 sitting on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, California. This view of the left side of the aircraft shows the change to the X-1A canopy from the X-1s see photo E49-0039 under XS-1 The nose boom carries an angle-of-attack and angle-of-sideslip vane, along with a pitot tube for measuring static and impact pressures. The fuselage length is 35 feet 8 inches, with a wing span of 28 feet. The X-1A was created to explore stability and control characteristics at speeds in excess of Mach 2 and altitudes greater than 90,000 feet. Bell test pilot Jean ''Skip'' Ziegler made six test flights in the X-1A between 14 February and 25 April 1953. Air Force test pilots Maj. Charles ''Chuck'' Yeager and Maj. Arthur ''Kit'' Murray made 18 flights between 21 November 1953 and 26 August 1954. NACA test pilot Joseph Walker made one successful flight on 20 July 1955. During a second flight attempt, on 8 August 1955, an explosion damaged the X-1A shortly before launch. Walker, unhurt, climbed up into the JTB-29A mothership, and the X-1A was jettisoned over the Edwards AFB bombing range.1955 NASA Photo |
| Date |
06/04/1955 |
|
Discovery Comes Home
The Boeing 747 Shuttle Carri
…
9/22/09
| Description |
The Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with space shuttle Discovery on top, is towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after touching down on Sept. 21 at 12:05 p.m. EDT. The two-day return flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20. After three fueling stops that included an overnight stay in Louisiana, the piggybacked shuttle had to navigate through a line of showers across Louisiana and around Kennedy. Discovery had landed at Edwards Sept. 11 after the 13-day STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Landings at Kennedy were waved off on two days due to inclement weather, leading to the landing at Edwards. Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett Sept. 21, 2009 |
| Date |
9/22/09 |
|
Welcome Back, Endeavour
&rsaquo, View Landing Video
…
12/1/08
| Description |
&rsaquo, View Landing Video </br></br> Space shuttle Endeavour kicks up dust as it touches down at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end the STS-126 mission, completing its 16-day journey of over 6.6 million miles in space. Image credit: NASA/Tony Landis Nov. 30, 2008 |
| Date |
12/1/08 |
|
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 |
|
Back to the Beginning
Space shuttle Atlantis rolls
…
6/5/09
| Description |
Space shuttle Atlantis rolls toward the open doors of Orbiter Processing Facility 1. Atlantis was demated from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, via the mate/demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility. After its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, which concluded its STS-125 mission, the modified Boeing 747 SCA carried the shuttle on a two-day ferry flight from Edwards to Kennedy beginning June 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller June 3, 2009 |
| Date |
6/5/09 |
|
Picture Perfect Landing
Shuttle Discovery returns sa
…
9/11/09
| Title |
Picture Perfect Landing |
| Date |
9/11/09 |
| Description |
Shuttle Discovery returns safely to Earth at Edwards Air Force Base in California. |
|
Landing of Space Shuttle End
…
Space shuttle Endeavour wrap
…
11/30/08
| Title |
Landing of Space Shuttle Endeavour |
| Date |
11/30/08 |
| Description |
Space shuttle Endeavour wraps up its STS-126 mission with a smooth touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base in California. |
|
Desert Layover
Space shuttle Discovery is p
…
9/22/09
| Description |
Space shuttle Discovery is parked within the Mate-Demate Device gantry at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Cener prior to beginning turnaround processing for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discoloration on Discovery's reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap gives evidence of the extreme heating it encountered during re-entry into the Earth' atmosphere prior to landing on Sept. 11, 2009, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis |
| Date |
9/22/09 |
|
Homecoming
Space shuttle Discovery sits
…
9/21/09
| Description |
Space shuttle Discovery sits atop the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as it touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:05 p.m. EDT. The two-day return flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20. After three fueling stops that included an overnight stay in Louisiana, the piggybacked shuttle had to navigate through a line of showers across Louisiana and around Kennedy. Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Date |
9/21/09 |
|
Welcome Home, Atlantis
Atlantis and the crew of the
…
5/24/09
| Description |
Atlantis and the crew of the STS-125 mission landed safely in California at Edwards Air Force Base after completing the Hubble Servicing Mission on Sunday,... |
| Date |
5/24/09 |
|
Welcome Home, Atlantis
Atlantis and the crew of the
…
5/24/09
| Description |
Atlantis and the crew of the STS-125 mission landed safely in California at Edwards Air Force Base after completing the Hubble Servicing Mission on Sunday,... |
| Date |
5/24/09 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Airborne images of the Willo
…
9/3/99
| Date |
9/3/99 |
| Description |
Airborne images of the Willow fire in Southern California's San Bernardino County, taken September 1 from a NASA ER-2 airplane, show the blaze in wavelengths that are not visible to the naked eye and would vastly improve firefighters' ability to contain them. Whereas the human eye can only see in the visible portion of the light spectrum, from 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers, NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer, known as AVIRIS, measures the full spectrum of light from 400 nanometers to 2,500 nanometers. (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.) The color portion of the first set of images, beginning at the left, shows the Willow fire as it was seen from an aircraft on September 1. Vegetation is dark green and smoke can be seen rising from the fire. To the left of the color image is the first infrared image taken at a wavelength of 500 nanometers. The light is diffused by smoke particles and vegetation appears dark due to the absorption of chlorophyll molecules. In the next spectral image, taken at 1,000 nanometers, less of the light is scattered by the smoke and the surface near the fire is seen more clearly. At this wavelength of light, healthy vegetation appears bright because of the light scattering of leaves, while scorched vegetation appears dark. At the still longer wavelength of 1,500 nanometers, the smoke is nearly transparent. At this wavelength, AVIRIS began to clearly measure the actual light coming from the burning fire. At 2,000 nanometers, only light from the burning fires can be seen. In this image the major fires and many small hotspots can be seen. In the future, AVIRIS will continue to be used to gather valuable information on forest fire risk in both wilderness and urban areas. Currently, important research is being pursued by Drs. Dar Roberts of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Susan Ustin of the University of California, Davis and John Gamon of California State University, Los Angeles, as well as many others. AVIRIS was designed, built and is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. With full spectral coverage, AVIRIS data are used to carry out a range of research activities and applications covering ecology, geology, coastal and inland water studies, snow and ice studies, wild fires, environmental contamination and urban studies. Data collection is made possible by NASA's ER-2 aircraft, which is housed at the Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
|
Airborne images of the Willo
…
9/3/99
| Date |
9/3/99 |
| Description |
Airborne images of the Willow fire in Southern California's San Bernardino County, taken September 1 from a NASA ER-2 airplane, show the blaze in wavelengths that are not visible to the naked eye. This set of infrared snapshots, taken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer, represents all of the infrared camera's 224 spectral channels, stacked in the image-cube format to depict the full AVIRIS measurement. The top and right panels show the full spectrum measured for each spatial element along the along the edge of the image. Spectroscopic or color analysis enables scientists to determine temperature variations, adjacent vegetation type and biomass, as well as the water content of leaves in the vegetation. These are important factors for understanding, controlling and extinguishing fires. AVIRIS was designed, built and is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. Data collection are made possible by NASA's ER-2 aircraft, which is housed at the Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
|
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 |
|
Columbia On Final Approach
| Title |
Columbia On Final Approach |
| Full Description |
The underside of Columbia as it makes its final approach before landing on the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The Shuttle was piloted by Richard Truly who would go on to become NASA's eighth Administrator. |
| Date |
11/16/1981 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Sally Ride, First U.S. Woman
…
| Title |
Sally Ride, First U.S. Woman in Space |
| Full Description |
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. Born on May 26, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, she received a Bachelor in Physics and English in 1973 from Stanford University and, later, a Master in Physics in 1975 and a Doctorate in Physics in 1978, also from Stanford. NASA selected Dr. Ride as an astronaut candidate in January 1978. She completed her training in August 1979, and began her astronaut career as a mission specialist on STS-7, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on June 18, 1983. The mission spent 147 hours in space before landing on a lakebed runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California on June 24, 1983. Dr. Ride also served as a mission specialist on STS-41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on October 5, 1984 and landed 197 hours later at Kennedy Space Center, Florida on October 13, 1984. In June 1985, NASA assigned Dr. Ride to serve as mission specialist on STS-61-M. She discontinued mission training in January 1986 to serve as a member of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, also known as the Rogers Commission. Upon completing the investigation she returned to NASA Headquarters as Special Assistant to the Administrator for Long Range and Strategic Planning, where she lead a team that wrote NASA Leadership and America's Future in Space:A Report to the Administrator in August 1987. Dr. Ride has also written a children's book, To Space and Back, describing her experiences in space, has received the Jefferson Award for Public Service, and has twice been awarded the National Spaceflight Medal. Her latest books include Voyager: An Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System and The Third Planet: Exploring the Earth from Space. She was also a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), which investigated the February 1, 2003 loss of Space Shuttle Columbia. Dr. Ride is currently a physics professor and Director of the California Space Institute at the University of California, San Diego. |
| Date |
06/1984 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space 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 |
|
STS-1 Launch
| Title |
STS-1 Launch |
| Full Description |
The April 12 launch at Pad 39A of STS-1, just seconds past 7 a.m., carries astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen into an Earth orbital mission scheduled to last for 54 hours, ending with unpowered landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. |
| Date |
4/12/1981 |
| NASA Center |
Kennedy Space Center |
|
STS-27, Orbiter Atlantis, Li
…
| Title |
STS-27, Orbiter Atlantis, Liftoff |
| Full Description |
Space Shuttle Atlantis takes flight on its STS-27 mission on December 2, 1988, 9:30 a.m. EST, utilizing 375,000 pounds thrust produced by its three main engines. The STS-27 was the third classified mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DoD). After completion of mission, Orbiter Atlantis landed December 6, 1988, 3:36 p.m. PST at Edwards Air Force Base, California. |
| Date |
12/2/1988 |
| NASA Center |
Marshall Space Flight Center |
|
Hyper III model drop test
Theseus taking off at Edward
…
Pathfinder on lakebed after
…
| Photo Description |
Crew members service the Pathfinder solar-powered aircraft on Rogers Dry Lake after a research flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. |
| Project Description |
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. (See the Pathfinder Plus photos and project description.) |
| Photo Date |
1995 |
|
HL-10 approach and landing a
…
HL-10 after landing with pil
…
HL-10 cockpit view of approa
…
HL-10 landing with F5D-1 Sky
…
SR-71 LASRE during in-flight
…
X-1 launch from B-50 mothers
…
Aerial views of NASA Dryden
…
NACA High Speed Flight Resea
…
Hyper III drop test from SH-
…
LASRE ground hotfire #2 of t
…
Walter C. Williams (1919-199
…
NACA X-3 supersonic research
…
X-31 in flight - Double Reve
…
F-107A on ramp
| Photo Date |
January 7, 1959 |
|
X-31 in flight, Herbst maneu
…
|
