Dryden Aircraft Fleet on ramp and facility - 1988

Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility - aircraft fleet on ramp

This fleet of military aircraft was used in the 1940s for research at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The NACA Lewis flight research program was established in March 1943 to augment the lab’s wartime research efforts. NACA Lewis possessed a host of wind tunnels, test stands, and other ground facilities designed to replicate flight conditions, but actual flight tests remained an integral research tool. The military loaned NACA Lewis 15 different aircraft during World War II and six others in the six months following the end of hostilities. During the war these aircraft supported three main efforts: the improved performance of reciprocating engines, better fuel additives and mixtures, and deicing systems. The wartime researchers used the types of aircraft which the studies were intended to improve. After the war the research aircraft served as test beds to investigate engines or systems that often had little to do with the research aircraft. During the war, NACA Lewis’ three pilots were supported by 16 flight engineers, 36 mechanics, and 10 instrumentation specialists. The visible aircraft, from left to right, are a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a Martin B-26A Marauder, two Consolidated B-24 Liberators, a Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, and a Northrop P-61 Black Widow. Partially obscured are a North American P-51 Mustang, a Bell P-63 King Cobra, a North American AT-6 Texan, and a Lockheed RA-29 Hudson.

X-3 (center), and clockwise from left: X-1A, D-558-I, XF-92A, X-5, D-558-II, and X-4.

X-3 (center), and clockwise from left: X-1A, D-558-I, XF-92A, X-5, D-558-II, and X-4.

NACA High Speed Flight Station aircraft at South Base. Clockwise from far left: D-558-II, XF-92A, X-5, X-1, X-4, and D-558-I.

Dryden Flight Research Center - aircraft fleet on ramp

NASA’s Ikhana remotely piloted aircraft (front-right) is situated near NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Hangar 4802 after an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration into the National Airspace System Flight Test Series 4 flight, along with five flight “intruders.” These intruders, which include NASA’s TG-14 (front-left), T-34C (front-center), B-200 King Air (back-left), Gulfstream-III (back-center) and a Honeywell C-90 King Air (back-right), fly within a pre-determined distance to Ikhana to test Detect-and-Avoid technology during research flights.

NASA 862, which is an F/A-18D now based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, arrives for the first time in 2021. The aircraft was stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. Once here, the aircraft was sent for major maintenance, painting, and preparation to join the NASA Armstrong aircraft fleet.

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

The MicroCub is the newest addition to NASA Armstrong's fleet of subscale research aircraft. The aircraft is a modified a Bill Hempel 60-percent-scale super cub, designed with a 21-foot wingspan, a Piccolo Autopilot guidance system and a JetCat SPT-15 Turboprop.

The G-IV aircraft lifts off from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on March 18, 2025. As the newest member of NASA Armstrong’s airborne science fleet, the G-IV was sent to Avenger Aerospace Solutions in Cartersville, Georgia, for modifications that will optimize the G-IV’s performance as a research aircraft.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A hangar at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida fills up with new aircraft for the company Starfighters Inc. The blue and white aircraft is part of the company's original fleet of supersonic aircraft. The gray aircraft is one of five delivered to the company recently. They will be reassembled to fly research and development and other missions. They have been used to fly research and development and other missions. Starfighters operates out of a hangar at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy under an agreement with Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Photographed outside their hangar at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, part of Dryden's F-16 fleet is, left to right; an F-16A, the F-16XL no. 1, and the F-16 AFTI. The F-16A (NASA 516), the only civil registered F-16 in existence, was transferred to Dryden from Langley, and was primarily used in engine tests and for parts. It was subsequently transfered from Dryden. The single-seat F-16XL no. 1 (NASA 849) was most recently used in the Cranked-Arrow Wing Aerodynamics Project (CAWAP) to test boundary layer pressures and distribution. Previously it had been used in a program to investigate the characteristics of sonic booms for NASA's High Speed Research Program. Data from the program will be used in the development of a high speed civilian transport. During the series of sonic boom research flights, the F-16XL was used to probe the shock waves being generated by a NASA SR-71 and record their shape and intensity. The Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) F-16 was used to develop and demonstrate technologies to improve navigation and a pilot's ability to find and destroy enemy ground targets day or night, including adverse weather. Earlier research in the joint NASA-Air Force AFTI F-16 program demonstrated voice actuated controls, helmet-mounted sighting and integration of forward-mounted canards with the standard flight control system to achieve uncoupled flight.

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is backdropped by the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

This is a front view of the vertical tail loads testing on a Navy F/A-18E that concluded in May, wrapping up the third phase of research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The first two phases included loads calibration testing focused on the aircraft’s horizontal tails and wings. The aircraft is from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR retired its previous loads test aircraft and NASA Armstrong staff are assisting to prepare the new aircraft for its role to help safely manage flight maneuvers and determine how the F/A-18E fleet will perform if proposed upgrades are incorporated.

This view from above shows the vertical tail loads testing on a Navy F/A-18E that concluded in May, wrapping up the third phase of research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The first two phases included loads calibration testing focused on the aircraft’s horizontal tails and wings. The aircraft is from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR retired its previous loads test aircraft and NASA Armstrong staff are assisting to prepare the new aircraft for its role to help safely manage flight maneuvers and determine how the F/A-18E fleet will perform if proposed upgrades are incorporated.

Here is another view of the vertical tail loads testing on a Navy F/A-18E that concluded in May, wrapping up the third phase of research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The first two phases included loads calibration testing focused on the aircraft’s horizontal tails and wings. The aircraft is from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR retired its previous loads test aircraft and NASA Armstrong staff are assisting to prepare the new aircraft for its role to help safely manage flight maneuvers and determine how the F/A-18E fleet will perform if proposed upgrades are incorporated.

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.

Martin Hench, flight systems engineer, checks the communications system onboard the G-IV aircraft as it prepares to depart NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on March 18, 2025. As the newest member of NASA Armstrong’s airborne science fleet, the G-IV was sent to Avenger Aerospace Solutions in Cartersville, Georgia, for modifications that will optimize the G-IV’s performance as a research aircraft.

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.

The third and final Airbus H135 helicopter touches down at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 26, 2021, completing the upgraded fleet of aircraft used for security operations. The Airbus H135 helicopters replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft that had been in service at Kennedy for the last 30 years. Maintained by the Flight Operations team, these new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.

Jose “Manny” Rodriguez, technical engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, secures a trunk onboard the G-IV aircraft on March 18, 2025. As the newest member of NASA Armstrong’s airborne science fleet, the G-IV was sent to Avenger Aerospace Solutions in Cartersville, Georgia, for modifications that will optimize the G-IV’s performance as a research aircraft.

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.

Jose “Manny” Rodriguez adjusts the Soxnav instrument onboard the G-IV aircraft in December 2024. As part of the team of experts, Rodriguez ensures that the electronic components of this instrument are installed efficiently. His expertise will help bring the innovative navigational guidance of the Soxnav system to the G-IV and the wider airborne science fleet at NASA. Precision guidance provided by the Soxnav enables research aircraft like the G-IV to collect more accurate, more reliable Earth science data to scientists on the ground.

This view from above shows the vertical tail loads testing on a Navy F/A-18E that concluded in May, wrapping up the third phase of research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The first two phases included loads calibration testing focused on the aircraft’s horizontal tails and wings. The aircraft is from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR retired its previous loads test aircraft and NASA Armstrong staff are assisting to prepare the new aircraft for its role to help safely manage flight maneuvers and determine how the F/A-18E fleet will perform if proposed upgrades are incorporated.

This view from above shows the vertical tail loads testing on a Navy F/A-18E that concluded in May, wrapping up the third phase of research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The first two phases included loads calibration testing focused on the aircraft’s horizontal tails and wings. The aircraft is from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAVAIR retired its previous loads test aircraft and NASA Armstrong staff are assisting to prepare the new aircraft for its role to help safely manage flight maneuvers and determine how the F/A-18E fleet will perform if proposed upgrades are incorporated.

NASA's DC-8 Airborne Science platform landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to join the fleet of aircraft at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The white aircraft with a blue stripe running horizontally from the nose to the tail is shown with its main landing gear just above the runway. The former airliner is a "dash-72" model and has a range of 5,400 miles. The craft can stay airborne for 12 hours and has an operational speed range between 300 and 500 knots. The research flights are made at between 500 and 41,000 feet. The aircraft can carry up to 30,000 lbs of research/science payload equipment installed in 15 mission-definable spaces.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed through the open door of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

In this broad view, the new full-color, flat panel Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) is shown in the cockpit of the orbiter Atlantis. It is often called the "glass cockpit." The recently installed MEDS upgrade improves crew/orbiter interaction with easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. The installation makes Atlantis the most modern orbiter in the fleet and equals the systems on current commercial jet airliners and military aircraft. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on mission STS-101 in early December

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

The cockpit of the orbiter Atlantis is revealed with its new full-color, flat panel Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS), also called the "glass cockpit." The recently installed MEDS upgrade improves crew/orbiter interaction with easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. The installation makes Atlantis the most modern orbiter in the fleet and equals the systems on current commercial jet airliners and military aircraft. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on mission STS-101 in early December

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

A new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle is photographed in front of Fire Station No. 2 near the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The state-of-the-art truck replaces a 28-year-old vehicle. Kennedy is upgrading its fleet of emergency vehicles to enhance its safety and security posture at the growing, multi-user spaceport.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Columbia, piggy-back on its 747 carrier aircraft, is only seconds away from a touchdown at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), completing its 2,400-mile ferry flight from Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Columbia, the first of the fleet of Space Shuttles, is scheduled for the first Space Shuttle flight n 1981.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Columbia, piggy-back on its 747 carrier aircraft, is only seconds away from a touchdown at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), completing its 2,400 mile ferry flight from Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Columbia, the first of the fleet of Space Shuttles, is scheduled for the first Space Shuttle flight in 1981.

A new full-color, flat panel Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) is shown in the cockpit of the orbiter Atlantis. It is often called the "glass cockpit." The recently installed MEDS upgrade improves crew/orbiter interaction with easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. The installation makes Atlantis the most modern orbiter in the fleet and equals the systems on current commercial jet airliners and military aircraft. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on mission STS-101 in early December

The Helios Prototype flying wing stretches almost the full length of the 300-foot-long hangar at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The 247-foot span solar-powered aircraft, resting on its ground maneuvering dolly, was on display for a visit of NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and other NASA officials on January 31, 2002. The unique solar-electric flying wing reached an altitude of 96,863 feet during an almost 17-hour flight near Hawaii on August 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 series of baseline flights beginning on June 24, 2024, the G-IV aircraft flew over the Antelope Valley to analyze aircraft performance. To accommodate a new radar instrument developed by JPL, NASA’s Airborne Science Program has selected the Gulfstream-IV aircraft to be modified and operated by Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and will accommodate new instrumentation on board in support of the agency’s science mission directorate. Baseline flights began at NASA Armstrong in June 2024

The Flight Research Building at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory is a 272- by 150-foot hangar with an internal height up to 90 feet. The hangar’s massive 37.5-foot-tall and 250-foot-long doors can be opened in sections to suit different size aircraft. The hangar has sheltered a diverse fleet of aircraft over the decades. These have ranged from World War II bombers to Cessna trainers and from supersonic fighter jets to a DC–9 airliner. At the time of this September 1942 photograph, however, the hangar was being used as an office building during the construction of the laboratory. In December of 1941, the Flight Research Building became the lab’s first functional building. Temporary offices were built inside the structure to house the staff while the other buildings were completed. The hangar offices were used for an entire year before being removed in early 1943. It was only then that the laboratory acquired its first aircraft, pilots and flight mechanics. The temporary one-story offices can be seen in this photograph inside the large sliding doors. Also note the vertical lift gate below the NACA logo. The gate was installed so that the tails of larger aircraft could pass into the hangar. The white Farm House that served as the Administration Building during construction can be seen in the distance to the left of the hangar.

S65-19530 (7 June 1965) --- The red carpet treatment is given to the Gemini-Titan 4 astronauts Edward H. White II and James A. McDivitt as they arrive on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Wasp after their record breaking 62-revolution, 97-hour and 56-minute flight which ended in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles east of Cape Kennedy at 12:12 p.m. (EST) on June 7, 1965. Here they are shown being welcomed by members of the crew and NASA people. White and McDivitt (center) walk on the red carpet flanked by Capt. J.W. Conger (left), commander of the ship; and Rear Adm. W.M. McCormick, commander, Carrier Division 14, Atlantic Fleet. NASA's Gemini-4 flight landed about 48 miles short of the aircraft carrier.

The Flight Operations crew stands before a Republic P-47G Thunderbolt at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The laboratory’s Flight Research Section was responsible for conducting a variety of research flights. During World War II most of the test flights complemented the efforts in ground-based facilities to improve engine cooling systems or study advanced fuel mixtures. The Republic P–47G was loaned to the laboratory to test NACA modifications to the Wright R–2800 engine’s cooling system at higher altitudes. The laboratory has always maintained a fleet of aircraft so different research projects were often conducted concurrently. The flight research program requires an entire section of personnel to accomplish its work. This staff generally consists of a flight operations group, which includes the section chief, pilots and administrative staff; a flight maintenance group with technicians and mechanics responsible for inspecting aircraft, performing checkouts and installing and removing flight instruments; and a flight research group that integrates the researchers’ experiments into the aircraft. The staff at the time of this March 1944 photograph included 3 pilots, 16 planning and analysis engineers, 36 mechanics and technicians, 10 instrumentation specialists, 6 secretaries and 5 computers.

A Consolidated B–24D Liberator (left), Boeing B–29 Superfortress (background), and Lockheed RA–29 Hudson (foreground) parked inside the Flight Research Building at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. A P–47G Thunderbolt and P–63A King Cobra are visible in the background. The laboratory utilized 15 different aircraft during the final 2.5 years of World War II. This starkly contrasts with the limited-quantity, but long-duration aircraft of the NASA’s modern fleet. The Flight Research Building is a 272- by 150-foot hangar with an internal height ranging from 40 feet at the sides to 90 feet at its apex. The steel support trusses were pin-connected at the top with tension members extending along the corrugated transite walls down to the floor. The 37.5-foot-tall and 250-foot-long doors on either side can be opened in sections. The hangar included a shop area and stock room along the far wall, and a single-story office wing with nine offices, behind the camera. The offices were later expanded. The hangar has been in continual use since its completion in December 1942. Nearly 70 different aircraft have been sheltered here over the years. Temporary offices were twice constructed over half of the floor area when office space was at a premium.

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.

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

The space shuttle Discovery is suspended from a sling held by two cranes after the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) was pushed back from underneath at Washington Dulles International Airport, Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Sterling, VA. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies near the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Rebecca Roth)

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies over the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Dane Penland)

Workers monitor the lift of the space shuttle Discovery from the top of the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at Washington Dulles International Airport, Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Sterling, VA. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies over the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Dane Penland)

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) taxis in front of the main terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Sterling, Va. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Eric Long)

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies near the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS-101 Commander James Halsell (left) and STS-98 Commander Ken Cockrell (right) pause for a photo while looking over the recently installed Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) in the cockpit of the orbiter Atlantis. The new full-color, flat panel MEDS improves crew/orbiter interaction with easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. The installation makes Atlantis the most modern orbiter in the fleet and equals the systems on current commercial jet airliners and military aircraft. The first flight of the upgraded Atlantis is STS-101, scheduled for launch in December 1999; the second flight, STS-98, is scheduled for launch in April 2000

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. In the distance, a second one can be seen arriving. The two H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the orbiter Atlantis, JoAnn Morgan, Associate Director for Advanced Development and Shuttle Upgrades, and Roy Bridges Jr., Center Director, get a closeup view of the new full-color flat panel Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS), also called the "glass cockpit." The MEDS upgrade improves crew/orbiter interaction with easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. The installation makes Atlantis the most modern orbiter in the fleet and equals the systems on current commercial jet airliners and military aircraft. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on mission STS-101 in early December

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

Workers monitor the lift of the space shuttle Discovery from the top of the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at Washington Dulles International Airport, Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Sterling, VA. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) makes its way past Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Arlington, Va. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The NACA’s Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory acquired the Grumman S2F-1 Tracker from the Navy in 1955 to study icing instrumentation. Lewis’s icing research program was winding down at the time. The use of jet engines was increasing thus reducing the threat of ice accumulation. Nonetheless Lewis continued research on the instrumentation used to detect icing conditions. The S2F-1 Tracker was a carrier-based submarine hunter for the Navy. Grumman developed the Tracker as a successor to its Korean War-era Guardian patrol aircraft. Prototypes first flew in late 1952 and battle-ready versions entered Naval service in early 1954. The Navy utilized the Trackers to protect fleets from attack.

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

The space shuttle Discovery is suspended from a sling held by two cranes shortly after the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) was pushed back from underneath at Washington Dulles International Airport, Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Sterling, VA. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) lands at Washington Dulles International Airport, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Sterling, Va. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Eric Long)

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.

Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.

The space shuttle Discovery is suspended from a sling held by two cranes as the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) is pushed back from underneath at Washington Dulles International Airport, Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Sterling, VA. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)