An inert AIM-54 Phoenix missile nestled under the fuselage of NASA Dryden's F-15B aircraft is being studied as a possible test vehicle to obtain hypersonic data.

An inert Phoenix missile nestled under the fuselage of NASA Dryden's F-15B aircraft is being studied as a possible test vehicle to obtain hypersonic data.

NASA Dryden aircraft and avionics technicians (from left) Bryan Hookland, Art Cope, Herman Rijfkogel and Jonathan Richards install the nose cone on a Phoenix missile prior to a fit check on the center's F-15B research aircraft.

NASA Dryden aircraft and avionics technicians install the nose cone on an inert Phoenix missile prior to a fit check on the center's F-15B research aircraft.

Surplus Navy Phoenix missiles like this one mounted on the centerline pylon of NASA's F-15B research aircraft may be used to acquire hypersonic flight test data.

Surplus Phoenix missiles like this one mounted on the centerline pylon of NASA's F-15B research aircraft may be used to acquire hypersonic flight test data.