A NASA F‑15 aircraft is shown flying next to a NASA F/A‑18 during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The full F‑15 is visible, along with a partial view of the F/A‑18’s wing, as both aircraft display new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

A NASA F‑15 aircraft is shown flying next to a NASA F/A‑18 during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The full F‑15 is visible, along with a partial view of the F/A‑18’s wing, as both aircraft display new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

A NASA F‑15 aircraft is shown flying next to a NASA F/A‑18 during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The full F‑15 is visible, along with a partial view of the F/A‑18’s wing, as both aircraft display new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

A NASA F‑15 aircraft is shown during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The aircraft displays new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The F‑15, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

A NASA F‑15 aircraft is shown during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The aircraft displays new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The F‑15, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

NASA photographer Jim Ross flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in an F-18 aircraft, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover. A NASA F-15 is seen flying to the side of the NASA F-18.

NASA photographer Jim Ross captures photos as he flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in an F-18 aircraft, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover. A NASA F-15 and T-38 are seen flying to the sides of the NASA F-18.

NASA pilot Nils Larson, left, walks next to crew chief Walt Kondracki, right, by an F-15 aircraft Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. In the background, NASA mechanic Tim Logan secures the cockpit inside of the F-15, and flight test engineer A.J. Jaffe stands to the right.

A NASA F-15 aircraft flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The wing of a NASA F-18 is seen in the foreground, as a NASA photographer captured this image from inside the cockpit. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

NASA’s F-15, right, and F/A-18 aircraft are shown at International Aerospace Coatings Inc.’s facility in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, with new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover in Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, with other NASA and military aircraft. NASA/Jim Ross

NASA photographer Jim Ross takes a selfie from the rear seat of a NASA F/A‑18 during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The agency’s F‑15, flying alongside the aircraft, is visible through the window. Both aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026.

A NASA F-15 aircraft flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

A NASA F-15 aircraft flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

A NASA F-15 aircraft flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stands to the right of NASA Armstrong Center Director Troy Asher, left, in front of an F-15 aircraft. Both pilots flew above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less completes pre‑flight checks on a NASA F‑15 in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, displays new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and was preparing to fly cross‑country to Washington, D.C., where it participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

NASA’s F-15 aircraft is shown at International Aerospace Coatings Inc.’s facility in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, with new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover in Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, with other NASA and military aircraft. NASA/Jim Ross

NASA Armstrong pilot Jim Less, left, and center director, Troy Asher, right, stand in front of a NASA F-15 aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Both pilots took part in a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

Oregon Air National Guard ground crew guides one of NASA’s newest F-15 aircraft onto the ramp at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. The retired U.S. Air Force F-15s come from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing and will transition from military service to support NASA’s flight research fleet.

Oregon Air National Guard pilots deliver NASA’s newest F-15 aircraft from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. After completing their final flights with the Air Force, the two aircraft begin their new role supporting NASA’s flight research.

NASA’s newest F-15 aircraft arrive at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. The two retired U.S. Air Force F-15s will support ongoing supersonic flight research for NASA’s Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities Project and the Quesst mission’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft.

NASA crew chief Walt Kondracki checks an F-15 aircraft Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Ground crews, made of various roles, maintain the aircraft to be ready for each mission.

NASA staff and Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing crew pose for a group photo at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. The group stands in front of one of two F-15 aircraft added to the agency’s flight research fleet.

A F-15 aircraft owned by NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flies above a mountain range on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The agency’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article is attached to the bottom of this F-15. This project aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow. 

An F-15 research aircraft sits on the ramp at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. NASA pilots Jim Less, front seat, and Carrie Worth prepare for the flight. The agency’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article is attached to the bottom of the F-15. The project aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow.

An F-15 aircraft flies above the world’s largest compass rose above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, April 20, 2026. NASA’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article is attached to the bottom of the F-15. The project aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow.

Two NASA F-15 aircraft sit on the ramp at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California, ahead of dual F-15 flights that validated the integration of three tools – the Airborne Schlieren Photography System (ASPS), the Airborne Location Integrating Geospatial Navigation System (ALIGNS), and shock-sensing probe. Together these tools will measure and visualize the shock waves generated by NASA's X-59.

Oregon Air National Guard and NASA flight crew look out across the desert while awaiting the arrival of the NASA’s newest F-15 aircraft from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.

NASA’s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow test article is mounted beneath the agency’s F-15 research aircraft ahead of the design’s high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 3-foot-tall scale model is designed to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce drag, improving efficiency in large, swept wings like those found on most commercial aircraft.

NASA’s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow test article is mounted beneath the agency’s F-15 research aircraft ahead of the design’s high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 3-foot-tall scale model is designed to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce drag, improving efficiency in large, swept wings like those found on most commercial aircraft.

NASA’s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow test article is mounted beneath the agency’s F-15 research aircraft ahead of the design’s high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 3-foot-tall scale model is designed to increase a phenomenon known as laminar flow and reduce drag, improving efficiency in large, swept wings like those found on most commercial aircraft.

One of NASA's two F-15 research aircraft gets refueled in mid-air over Lake Isabella from a USAF KC-135 tanker while NASA's other F-15 flies chase alongside.

NASA photographer Jim Ross flies above the Washington Monument in Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in an F-18 aircraft, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

A NASA F/A‑18 aircraft is shown in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, with new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was preparing to fly cross‑country to Washington, D.C., where it participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross

NASA’s F-18 aircraft is shown at International Aerospace Coatings Inc.’s facility in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, with new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover in Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, with other NASA and military aircraft. NASA/Jim Ross

A NASA F-15 aircraft sits 20 feet off the left side of the X-59 aircraft, with a white hangar and hills in the background, during electromagnetic interference testing.

A NASA F-15 aircraft sits 20 feet off the left side of the X-59 aircraft, with a white hangar and hills in the background, during electromagnetic interference testing.

NASA researchers Mike Frederick, right, and Michelle Banchy, left, along with Ashante Jordan and intern Phillip Nguyen, sit in a control room and prepare for a flight test Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The agency’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) project aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow.

NASA flight test engineer A.J. Jaffe and pilot Nils Larson walk on the ramp before a flight Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The two support the agency’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) project, which aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow.

NASA test pilots Jim Less, left, and Nils Larson walk away from a hangar at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2026. The pilots support the agency’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) project, which aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow.

NASA photographer James Ross monitors the Airborne Location Integrating Geospatial Navigation System (ALIGNS) from the backseat of an F-15 near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The ALIGNS provides real-time positioning guidance between aircraft for shock wave probing and schlieren imagery capture.

NASA’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) scale-model wing flies on a NASA F-15 research jet during a test flight from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The CATNLF technology is designed to maintain smooth airflow, known as laminar flow. NASA will continue flight tests to collect data that validates the CATNLF design and its potential to improve laminar flow, reducing drag and lowering fuel costs for future commercial aircraft.

NASA’s F-15 research test bed will expose the Swept Wing Laminar Flow test article to speeds up to Mach 2, matching conditions presented during wind tunnel testing at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Four NASA employees walk toward a hangar after a flight Thursday, Feb. 4, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The team supports the agency’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) project, which aims to lower fuel costs for future commercial aircraft by testing a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow.

NASA ground crew prepares the agency’s F-15 research aircraft and Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article ahead of its first high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The CATNLF design aims to reduce drag on wing surfaces to improve efficiency and, in turn, reduce fuel burn.

NASA ground crew prepares the agency’s F-15 research aircraft and Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) test article ahead of its first high-speed taxi test on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The CATNLF design aims to reduce drag on wing surfaces to improve efficiency and, in turn, reduce fuel burn.

NASA’s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) scale model completes its first major milestone – high-speed taxi test – Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA’s F-15 research aircraft, with the 3-foot-tall test article mounted on its underside, reached speeds of approximately 144 mph during testing. If successful, the technology could be applied to future commercial aircraft to improve efficiency and potentially reduce fuel consumption.

NASA’s Cross Flow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) scale model completes its first major milestone – high-speed taxi test – Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA’s F-15 research aircraft, with the 3-foot-tall test article mounted on its underside, reached speeds of approximately 144 mph during testing. If successful, the technology could be applied to future commercial aircraft to improve efficiency and potentially reduce fuel consumption.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 research aircraft. A NASA F-15 research aircraft (not pictured) captured the image as the X-59 traveled to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, where it will begin flight testing for NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight over land.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 research aircraft. A NASA F-15 research aircraft (not pictured) captured the image as the X-59 traveled to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, where it will begin flight testing for NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight over land.

NASA’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) scale-model wing flies for the first time on a NASA F-15 research jet during a test flight from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 75-minute flight confirmed the aircraft could maneuver safely with the approximately 3-foot-tall test article mounted beneath it. NASA will continue flight tests to collect data that validates the CATNLF design and its potential to improve laminar flow, reducing drag and lowering fuel costs for future commercial aircraft. 

NASA’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) scale-model wing flies for the first time on a NASA F-15 research jet during a test flight from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The 75-minute flight confirmed the aircraft could maneuver safely with the approximately 3-foot-tall test article mounted beneath it. NASA will continue flight tests to collect data that validates the CATNLF design and its potential to improve laminar flow, reducing drag and lowering fuel costs for future commercial aircraft.

NASA’s Spacey Casey poses in front of NASA’s F-15 painted with new red, white, and blue livery to celebrate America’s 250th birthday at the Boeing Plaza at the 2026 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on Saturday, July 26, 2026.

The Swept Wing Laminar Flow test article, integrated to the underside of a NASA F-15, will examine the effectiveness of different configurations of small dots, called distributed roughness elements, to extend smooth, laminar airflow over a wing’s depth, reducing friction drag.

NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where Jenni Sidey-Gibbons looks inside engine nozzle of F-15 jet. The F-15 will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages for the X-59 development.

NASA Photographer Carla Thomas holds the Airborne Schlieren Photography System (ASPS), aiming it out the window in flight. The ASPS uses a photographic method called schlieren imaging, capable of visualizing changes in air density and revealing shock waves and air flow patterns around moving objects. The system is one of several tools validated during recent dual F-15 flights at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in support of NASA’s Quesst mission, ahead of the X-59’s first flight.

NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where they checked out a F-15 cockpit. The center is using its fleet of supersonic research support aircraft for sonic boom research, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where they checked out a F-15 cockpit. The center is using its fleet of supersonic research support aircraft for sonic boom research, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where they checked out a F-15 cockpit. The center is using its fleet of supersonic research support aircraft for sonic boom research, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

A collection of NASA's research aircraft on the ramp at the Dryden Flight Research Center in July 1997: X-31, F-15 ACTIVE, SR-71, F-106, F-16XL Ship #2, X-38, Radio Controlled Mothership and X-36.

View of the cockpit of NASA's F-14, tail number 991. This aircraft was the first of a series of post-Vietnam fighters, followed by the F-15, F-16, and F-18. They were designed for maneuverability in air-to-air combat. The F-14s had a spin problem that posed problems for its ability to engage successfully in a dogfight, since it tended to depart from controlled flight at the high angles of attack that frequently occur in close-in engagements.

NASA’s T-38 Talon, left, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle, right, aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA’s T-38 Talon, left, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle, right, aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA’s T-38 Talon, left, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle, right, aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA’s T-38 Talon, left, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle, right, aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA’s T-38 Talon, left, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle, right, aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA’s T-38 Talon, left, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle, right, aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA’s T-38 Talon, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Eagle aircraft are seen as they perform a flyover during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

The Quesst mission recently completed testing of operations and equipment to be used in recording the sonic thumps of the X-59. Researchers used three weather towers and a sonic anemometer to collect weather and atmospheric data while recording sonic booms generated by an F-15 and an F-18 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where (L to R) Loral O'Hara, Jenni Sidey-Gibbons and Raja Chari look inside the engine nozzle of an F-15 jet. The F-15 will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages for the X-59 development.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California (L to R) Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, Raja Chari, Loral O'Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jonny Kim and Jessica Watkins look inside the engine nozzle of an F-15 jet. The F-15 will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages for the X-59 development.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California (L to R) Raja Chari, Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, Loral O'Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jonny Kim and Jessica Watkins look inside the engine nozzle of an F-15 jet. The F-15 will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages for the X-59 development.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where Crew Chief Tom Grindle talks with (L to R) Jessica Watkins and Raja Chari near engine nozzle of F-15 jet. The F-15 will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages for the X-59 development.

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of sp

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman arrives at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo in a formation flight with his F-5 aircraft, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)

Rylee Ritter, student and first time visitor to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, sits in a mockup of an F-15 cockpit, during the center's Take Your Kids To Work Day event.

F-15 aircraft crew chief Zack Burke, left, and X-59 mechanic Jamie Trescott, center back, splash buckets of ice water on NASA aerial photographer Carla Thomas in celebration of her 1,000th flight at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Monday, April 20, 2026. Tim Krall, NASA Armstrong support aircraft fleet manager, watches. Thomas completed her flight in the backseat of a NASA F-15 aircraft flown by NASA Armstrong chief pilot Wayne Ringelberg. For 38 years, Thomas has captured aerial photographs of research and science flights.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, eighth from left, poses for a group photo with pilots and participants in NASA’s flyovers during the Great American State Fair, Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George's County, Maryland. NASA aircraft conducted flyovers during the fair in Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)

Famed astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 space mission in July 1969, served for seven years as a research pilot at the NACA-NASA High-Speed Flight Station, now the Dryden Flight Research Center, at Edwards, California, before he entered the space program. Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (later NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and today the Glenn Research Center) in 1955. Later that year, he transferred to the High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards as an aeronautical research scientist and then as a pilot, a position he held until becoming an astronaut in 1962. He was one of nine NASA astronauts in the second class to be chosen. As a research pilot Armstrong served as project pilot on the F-100A and F-100C aircraft, F-101, and the F-104A. He also flew the X-1B, X-5, F-105, F-106, B-47, KC-135, and Paresev. He left Dryden with a total of over 2450 flying hours. He was a member of the USAF-NASA Dyna-Soar Pilot Consultant Group before the Dyna-Soar project was cancelled, and studied X-20 Dyna-Soar approaches and abort maneuvers through use of the F-102A and F5D jet aircraft. Armstrong was actively engaged in both piloting and engineering aspects of the X-15 program from its inception. He completed the first flight in the aircraft equipped with a new flow-direction sensor (ball nose) and the initial flight in an X-15 equipped with a self-adaptive flight control system. He worked closely with designers and engineers in development of the adaptive system, and made seven flights in the rocket plane from December 1960 until July 1962. During those fights he reached a peak altitude of 207,500 feet in the X-15-3, and a speed of 3,989 mph (Mach 5.74) in the X-15-1. Armstrong has a total of 8 days and 14 hours in space, including 2 hours and 48 minutes walking on the Moon. In March 1966 he was commander of the Gemini 8 or

The solar-powered Helios Prototype flying wing frames two modified F-15 research aircraft in a hangar at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The elongated 247-foot span lightweight aircraft, resting on its ground maneuvering dolly, stretched almost the full length of the 300-foot long hangar while on display during a visit of NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and other NASA officials on Jan. 31, 2002. The unique solar-electric flying wing reached an altitude of 96,863 feet during an almost 17-hour flight near Hawaii on Aug. 13, 2001, a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a non-rocket powered aircraft. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, the Helios Prototype is the forerunner of a planned fleet of slow-flying, long duration, high-altitude uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) which can serve as "atmospheric satellites," performing Earth science missions or functioning as telecommunications relay platforms in the stratosphere.

In a lighter mood, Ed Schneider gives a "thumbs-up" after his last flight at the Dryden Flight Research Center on September 19, 2000. Schneider arrived at the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility on July 5, 1982, as a Navy Liaison Officer, becoming a NASA research pilot one year later. He has been project pilot for the F-18 High Angle-of-Attack program (HARV), the F-15 aeronautical research aircraft, the NASA B-52 launch aircraft, and the SR-71 "Blackbird" aircraft. He also participated in such programs as the F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire, the FAA/NASA 720 Controlled Impact Demonstration, the F-14 Automatic Rudder Interconnect and Laminar Flow, and the F-104 Aeronautical Research and Microgravity projects.

NASA engineers monitor an F-15 and an F/A-18 during a flight in support of the Shock Sensing Probe flight series, from the mission control room at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The flight series included the use of a technique commonly used by NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics - combining two instruments onto the nose of an aircraft to measure the pressure of shock waves from another aircraft.

NASA's F-15D research aircraft conducts a calibration flight of a shock-sensing probe near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The shock-sensing probe is designed to measure the signature and strength of shock waves in flight. The probe was validated during dual F-15 flights and will be flown behind NASA’s X-59 to measure small pressure changes caused by shock waves in support of the agency's Quesst mission.

NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California. On the right, NASA’s, X-59 pilot Nils Larsen, briefs the astronauts as they look at Armstrong’s fleet of supersonic research support aircraft, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California. On the right, NASA's, X-59 pilot Nils Larsen, briefs the astronauts as they look at Armstrong's fleet of supersonic research support aircraft, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California. On the right, NASA's, X-59 pilot Nils Larsen, briefs the astronauts as they look at Armstrong's fleet of supersonic research support aircraft, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates (L to R) Jessica Watkins, Zena Cardman, Kayla Barron toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California where they were briefed on the use of Armstrong's F-15 and F-18 aircraft for studying sonic booms. The aircraft will be used during the development of the low-boom X-59 aircraft that is planned to fly supersonically over land, which is not allowed at this time because of the loud noise created when flying beyond the speed of sound.

The Quesst mission recently completed testing of operations and equipment to be used in recording the sonic thumps of the X-59. Shown is one of 10 ground recording stations set up along a 30-mile stretch of desert to record sonic booms during the third phase of the of CarpetDIEM, Carpet Determination in Entirety Measurements flights. An F-15 and an F-18 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center created sonic booms, both loud and soft, to verify the operations of ground recording systems.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is seen with one of his personal F-5 aircraft ahead of an air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is seen in the cockpit of his personal F-5 aircraft after arriving at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)

Mike Frederick, aerospace engineer and researcher, prepares for an employee incentive flight in an F/A-18 aircraft at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman established the ride‑along program to recognize and reward workforce members for their dedication to advancing the agency’s priorities.

Mike Frederick, aerospace engineer and researcher, prepares for an employee incentive flight in an F/A-18 aircraft at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman established the ride‑along program to recognize and reward workforce members for their dedication to advancing the agency’s priorities.

The F-15 Advanced Controls Technology for Integrated Vehicles, the first pre-production F-15B, shows its canards. Less obvious are the multi-axis thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles.

S66-54548 (12-15 Sept. 1966) --- This photograph, taken during one of the 44 orbits the Gemini-11 crew made around Earth, shows the Indian Ocean west of Australia looking northwest. The crew consisted of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. and Richard F. Gordon Jr. Photo credit: NASA