L to R: STS-98 Mission Specialist Thomas Jones, Pilot Mark Polansky, and Commander Kenneth Cockrell greet STS-92 Commander Brian Duffy, Dryden Center Director Kevin Petersen, and AFFTC Commander Major General Richard Reynolds after landing on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center is located.

Dryden Center director Kevin Petersen shakes hands with AFFTC commander, Brig. Gen. Curtis Bedke, at the retirement ceremony for NASA's B-52B.

Brig. Gen. Curtis Bedke, commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, received some first-hand insight on how to fly a Space Shuttle approach and landing, courtesy of NASA astronaut and STS-114 mission commander Eileen Collins. The series of proficiency flights in NASA's modified Grumman Gulfstream-II Shuttle Training Aircraft were in preparation for the STS-114 mission with the shuttle Discovery. Although NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is the primary landing site for Space Shuttle missions, flight crews also practice the shuttle's steep approach and landing at Edwards in case weather or other situations preclude a landing at the Florida site and force a diversion to Edwards AFB.

Retired NASA Dryden research pilot Ed Schneider served as master of ceremonies at the retirement ceremony for NASA's B-52B, on Dec. 17, 2004.

Chuck Rogers, Trong Bui, and Scott Bartel make preflight checks on the second of two aerospike research rockets on March 31, 2004.

A closeup of one of the Cesaroni Technology, Inc. - constructed aerospike nozzles used in the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test.

Launch of the first Dryden Aerospike rocket. The Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test provided the first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike rocket in flight.