Modified Valleys
Modified Valleys
Craters Modified by Ice
Craters Modified by Ice
NASA's modified DC-8 now carries the name of the late Edwin W. Lewis below its cockpit window, a tribute to his 18 years piloting the unique science laboratory.
NASA's modified DC-8 now carries the name of the late Edwin W. Lewis below its cockpit window, a tribute to his 18 years piloting the unique science laboratory
3/4 front view of Douglas F5D Skylancer modified to "ogee" platform inlet plug installed in Ames 40x80 foot wind tunnel.
F-5D Airplane modified to "ogee" platform inlet plug installed in Ames 40x80 foot wind tunnel.
3/4 front view of Wind Tunnel investigation of the Lockheed T-33 modified for area-suction leading-edge and trailing edge flaps in Ames 40x80 foot Wind Tunnel.
The Lockheed T-33 modified for area-suction leading-edge and trailing edge flaps.
S62-06157 (1962) --- Astronaut Walter Schirra Jr. gets modified calonic test. His balance mechanism (semicircular canals) are tested by running cool water into ear and measuring effect on eye motions (nystagmus) after his six-orbit flight in the Sigma 7 spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA
Astronaut Walter Schirra gets modified calonic test
Administrator Bridenstine receives X-57 program patch standing in front of the X-57 being modified from combustion Tecnam P2006T aircraft into all-electric aircraft in Scaled Composites hangar at Mojave Air & Space Port in California.
NASA Administrator Bridenstine receives X-57 all-electric aircraft program patch standing in front of the X-57 being modified at Scaled Composites at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
A cluster of eight H-1 engines were used to thrust the first stage of Saturn I (S-I stage) and Saturn IB (S-IB stage). The engines were arranged in a double pattern. Four engines, located inboard, were fixed in a square pattern around the stage axis, while the remaining four engines were located outboard in a larger square pattern and each outer engine was gimbaled. Each H-1 engine, fueled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP-1), initially had a thrust of 188,000 pounds each for a combined thrust of over 1,500,000 pounds. Later, the H-1 engine was upgraded to 205,000 pounds of thrust and a combined total thrust of 1,650,000 pounds for the Saturn IB program. This photo depicts a single modified H-1 engine. The H-1 engine was developed under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).
Saturn Apollo Program
NASA's highly modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA observatory banks low over the Texas countryside as it heads for landing at Waco to conclude its second check flight.
NASA's highly modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA observatory banks low over the Texas countryside as it heads for landing at Waco to conclude its second check flight
The space shuttle Discovery atop NASA's modified 747 is captured over the Mojave Desert while being ferried from NASA Dryden to the Kennedy Space Center. NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cross-country journey will take two days, with stops at several intermediate points for refueling.  Space shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT, August 9, 2005, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.  During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station.  Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.  In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes.  Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay.  Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.
The space shuttle Discovery atop NASA's modified 747 is captured over the Mojave Desert while being ferried from NASA Dryden to the Kennedy Space Center
Northrop-Grumman Corporation's modified U.S. Navy F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft.
Northrop-Grumman Corporation's modified U.S. Navy F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft
F5D Skylancer NASA 212 modified as the X-20 Dyna-Soar vision field simulator.
F5D Skylancer NASA 212 modified as the X-20 Dyna-Soar vision field simulator.
X-34 mated to modified L-1011 during takeoff on first captive carry flight
X-34 mated to modified L-1011 during takeoff on first captive carry flight
X-34 mated to modified L-1011 during takeoff on first captive carry flight
X-34 mated to modified L-1011 during takeoff on first captive carry flight
X-34 mated to modified L-1011 during takeoff on first captive carry flight
X-34 mated to modified L-1011 during takeoff on first captive carry flight
NASA's modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA airborne observatory taxis along the runway at Waco, Texas after completing its first checkout flight on April 26, 2007.
NASA's modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA airborne observatory taxis along the runway at Waco, Texas after completing its first checkout flight on April 26, 2007
JSC2005-E-36604 (21 August 2005) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a specially modified Boeing 747, was photographed following touch down at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 21, 2005 after a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where the shuttle landed Aug. 9. The 747, known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), brought Discovery home to KSC after completing the historic STS-114 Return to Flight mission.
The Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a specially modified Boeing 747
The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft was mated to its modified Pegasus® booster rocket in late January at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
X-43A hypersonic research aircraft mated to its modified Pegasus® booster rocket.
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on May 31, 2007. The heavily modified Boeing 747SP was ferried to Dryden from Waco, Texas, where L-3 Communications Integrated Systems installed a German-built 2.5-meter infrared telescope and made other major modifications over the past several years. SOFIA is scheduled to undergo installation and integration of mission systems and a multi-phase flight test program at Dryden over the next three years that is expected to lead to a full operational capability to conduct astronomy missions in about 2010. During its expected 20-year lifetime, SOFIA will be capable of "Great Observatory" class astronomical science, providing astronomers with access to the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum with optimized performance in the mid-infrared to sub-millimeter range.
NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory in flight for the first of a series of test flights to verify the flight performance of the highly modified Boeing 747SP
Harry Mergler stands at the control board of a differential analyzer in the new Instrument Research Laboratory at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The differential analyzer was a multi-variable analog computation machine devised in 1931 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher and future NACA Committee member Vannevar Bush. The mechanical device could solve computations up to the sixth order, but had to be rewired before each new computation. Mergler modified Bush’s differential analyzer in the late 1940s to calculate droplet trajectories for Lewis’ icing research program. In four days Mergler’s machine could calculate what previously required weeks.      NACA Lewis built the Instrument Research Laboratory in 1950 and 1951 to house the large analog computer equipment. The two-story structure also provided offices for the Mechanical Computational Analysis, and Flow Physics sections of the Physics Division. The division had previously operated from the lab’s hangar because of its icing research and flight operations activities.    Mergler joined the Instrument Research Section of the Physics Division in 1948 after earning an undergraduate degree in Physics from the Case Institute of Technology. Mergler’s focus was on the synthesis of analog computers with the machine tools used to create compressor and turbine blades for jet engines.
Harry Mergler with His Modified Differential Analyzer
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft.
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft.
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft.
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft
Orbital Sciences Corp. technicians remove protective shrouds from the modified Pegasus booster before takeoff on the X-43A's Mach 9.6 record scramjet flight.
Orbital Sciences Corp. technicians remove protective shrouds from the modified Pegasus booster before takeoff on the X-43A's Mach 9.6 record scramjet flight
The NASA logo on a hangar is framed by the noses of NASA's two modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on the ramp at NASA Dryden in this 1995 photo.
The NASA logo on a hangar is framed by the noses of NASA's two modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on the ramp at NASA Dryden in this 1995 photo
One of NASA's two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is silhouetted against the morning sky at sunrise on the ramp at Edwards Air Force Base.
One of NASA's two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is silhouetted against the morning sky at sunrise on the ramp at Edwards Air Force Base
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft.
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B aircraft, tail number 837, serves as an Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) research testbed aircraft
The small size of the X-43A scramjet is evident in this nose-on view while mounted to its modified Pegasus booster under the wing of NASA's B-52B mothership.
The small size of the X-43A scramjet is evident in this nose-on view while mounted to its modified Pegasus booster under the wing of NASA's B-52B mothership
NASA's two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft #911 (left) and #905 (right) were nose-to-nose on the ramp at NASA Dryden in this 1995 photo.
NASA's two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft #911 (left) and #905 (right) were nose-to-nose on the ramp at NASA Dryden in this 1995 photo
NASA's highly modified NF-15B research aircraft cruises over Southern California's Tehachapi Mountains near Lake Isabella during a research mission.
NASA's highly modified NF-15B research aircraft cruises over Southern California's Tehachapi Mountains near Lake Isabella during a research mission.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft at sunset with the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket under its right wing.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft at sunset with the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket under its right wing
The two craters in this image are located in Zephyria Planum. The crater floors appear to be modified only by deposits of fine materials
Two Craters
This rim of this unnamed crater in Tempe Terra has been modified by the formation of numerous gullies
Gullies
Technicians at the NASA Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., removed the German-built primary mirror assembly from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, April 18, 2008 in preparation for the final finish coating of the mirror. A precision crane lifted the more than two-ton mirror assembly from its cavity in the rear fuselage of the highly modified Boeing 747SP. The assembly was then secured in its transport dolly and moved to a clean room where it was prepared for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field near Mountain View, Calif. where it would receive its aluminized finish coating before being re-installed in the SOFIA aircraft.
The SOFIA primary mirror assembly is cautiously lifted from its cavity in the modified 747 by a crane in preparation for finish coating operations at NASA Ames
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on May 31, 2007. The heavily modified Boeing 747SP was ferried to Dryden from Waco, Texas, where L-3 Communications Integrated Systems installed a German-built 2.5-meter infrared telescope and made other major modifications over the past several years. SOFIA is scheduled to undergo installation and integration of mission systems and a multi-phase flight test program at Dryden over the next three years that is expected to lead to a full operational capability to conduct astronomy missions in about 2010. During its expected 20-year lifetime, SOFIA will be capable of "Great Observatory" class astronomical science, providing astronomers with access to the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum with optimized performance in the mid-infrared to sub-millimeter range.
NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory lifts off on the first of a series of test flights to verify the flight performance of the highly modified Boeing 747SP
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on May 31, 2007. The heavily modified Boeing 747SP was ferried to Dryden from Waco, Texas, where L-3 Communications Integrated Systems installed a German-built 2.5-meter infrared telescope and made other major modifications over the past several years. SOFIA is scheduled to undergo installation and integration of mission systems and a multi-phase flight test program at Dryden over the next three years that is expected to lead to a full operational capability to conduct astronomy missions in about 2010. During its expected 20-year lifetime, SOFIA will be capable of "Great Observatory" class astronomical science, providing astronomers with access to the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum with optimized performance in the mid-infrared to sub-millimeter range.
NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory and F/A-18 safety chase during the first series of test flights to verify the flight performance of the modified Boeing 747SP
The Space Shuttle Endeavour atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base on the first leg of its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center just after sunrise on Dec. 10, 2008.
The modified 747 carrier aircraft carrying the Space Shuttle Endeavour soars aloft from Edwards AFB on the first leg of its ferry flight back to Florida
The Space Shuttle Endeavour is slowly hoisted aloft in the Mate-Demate gantry at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center before being mounted atop its modified 747 carrier aircraft for a ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Endeavour is slowly hoisted aloft in the Mate-Demate gantry before being mounted atop its modified 747 carrier aircraft for a ferry flight back to Florida
The modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft carrying the Space Shuttle Endeavour soars aloft from Edwards Air Force Base on the first leg of its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center just after sunrise on Dec. 10, 2008.
The modified 747 carrier aircraft carrying the Space Shuttle Endeavour soars aloft from Edwards AFB on the first leg of its ferry flight back to Florida
iss073e0031528 (May 15, 2025) --- Genetically modified, extemely dwarf tomato plants are pictured growing inside specialized research hardware, called Rhodium BioCuvettes, aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. The space botany experiment tests the plants ability to grow without photosynthesis and survive in confined environments in weightlessness potentially supporting crop production on spacecraft.
Genetically modified, extemely dwarf tomato plants grow aboard the International Space Station
iss073e0071009 (May 11, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim photographs genetically modified, extemely dwarf tomato plants growing inside specialized research hardware, called Rhodium BioCuvettes, aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. The space botany experiment tests the plants ability to grow without photosynthesis and survive in confined environments in weightlessness potentially supporting crop production on spacecraft.
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim photographs genetically modified, extemely dwarf tomato plants
iss073e0032789 (May 16, 2025) --- Genetically modified, extemely dwarf tomato plants are pictured growing inside specialized research hardware, called Rhodium BioCuvettes, aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. The space botany experiment tests the plants ability to grow without photosynthesis and survive in confined environments in weightlessness potentially supporting crop production on spacecraft.
Genetically modified, extemely dwarf tomato plants grow aboard the International Space Station
A brief tour through NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was a popular attraction at the Edwards Air Force Base open house Oct. 28-29, 2006.
A brief tour through NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was a popular attraction at the Edwards Air Force Base open house Oct. 28-29, 2006
Crowds thronged around NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and an Air Force B-1B Lancer at the Edwards Air Force Base open house Oct. 28-29, 2006.
Crowds thronged around NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and an Air Force B-1B Lancer at the Edwards Air Force Base open house Oct. 28-29, 2006
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, seen here with the Boron Mine as a backdrop, resumed Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project flights on Dec. 6, 2002.
NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, seen here with the Boron Mine as a backdrop, resumed Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project flights on Dec. 6, 2002.
NASA's two modified F-15B research aircraft joined up for a fly-over of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards AFB, Calif., after a research mission.
NASA's two modified F-15B research aircraft joined up for a fly-over of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards AFB, Calif., after a research mission.
NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Endeavour on top lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Endeavour on top lifts off to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
This image shows a small portion of the Martian dichotomy near Lucus Planum. The ancient crater at the right center of the images has been extensively modified by the fracturing
Arcuate Fractures
Located between Lycus Sulci and Acheron Fossae, the surface in this region has been modified by the wind. The bottom half of the image contains linear sand dunes
Wind Work
Moments after sunrise, the modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft carrying the Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base on the first leg of its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 10, 2008.
Moments after sunrise, the modified 747 carrier aircraft carrying the Endeavour lifts off from Edwards AFB on the first leg of its ferry flight back to KSC
The Space Shuttle Endeavour and its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft are illuminated by the morning sun Tuesday after mating of the pair was completed overnight in the Mate-DeMate gantry at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The pair are scheduled to depart Edwards Air Force Base on their ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday morning, Dec. 10.
Endeavour and its modified 747 carrier aircraft are illuminated by the morning sun after mating was completed in the Mate-DeMate gantry at NASA DFRC
The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket accelerate after launch from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on November 16, 2004. The mission originated from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Minutes later the X-43A separated from the Pegasus booster and accelerated to its intended speed of Mach 10.
A modified Pegasus rocket ignites moments after release from the B-52B, beginning the acceleration of the X-43A over the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 16, 2004
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. modified U.S. Navy F-5E jet in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project, which is part of the DARPA's Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program.  The project is an effort to lessen sonic booms.  During the recent demonstration, the F-15B flew behind the modified F-5E sonic boom demonstrator aircraft in order to measure the aircraft's sonic boom characteristics.  Flying behind and below the F-5E, and using its specially-instrumented nose boom, the F-15B recorded many shockwave patterns from the F-5E at various distances and orientations from the aircraft.
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. - modified U.S. Navy F-5E jet in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration project.
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. modified U.S. Navy F-5E jet in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project, which is part of the DARPA's Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program.  The project is an effort to lessen sonic booms.  During the recent demonstration, the F-15B flew behind the modified F-5E sonic boom demonstrator aircraft in order to measure the aircraft's sonic boom characteristics.  Flying behind and below the F-5E, and using its specially-instrumented nose boom, the F-15B recorded many shockwave patterns from the F-5E at various distances and orientations from the aircraft.
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. - modified U.S. Navy F-5E jet in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration project.
The ejecta of the impact crater shown in this image from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft appears to have been modified after it was emplaced. This modification may be due to the presence of subsurface ground ice.
Elysium Planitia
This NASA Mars Odyssey image shows a region in northern Arabia Terra where knobby or cabby plains units that mantle and modify a pre-existing cratered surface dominate the unusual landscape.
Knobby Terrain in Northern Arabia Terra
The fluidized impact crater ejecta and flat crater floors observed in this image from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft suggest near-surface volatiles once played an important role in modifying the Martian surface.
Impact Craters
This image of an area south of Olympus Mons shows a region where the wind has been an active agent in modifying the surface. Small linear dunes cover the surface in this image taken by NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
Wind Power
This image captured by NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spans from wall to wall across the center area of an impact crater. From what we see, a lot has happened to modify the appearance of the crater since it was formed.
Ice Deposition and Loss in an Impact Crater in Utopia Basin
Technicians unload the LEAPTech experimental wing upon its arrival at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. Ground testing will begin after the wing is mounted on a specially modified truck.
LEAPTech to Demonstrate Electric Propulsion Technologies
This NASA Mars Odyssey image shows several fretted channels within Deuteronilus Mensae in the northern plains of Mars. These linear troughs appear to have been extensively modified by surficial processes.
Deuteronilus Mensae
NASA Administrator Bridenstine talks to press at Scaled Composites hangar at Mojave Air & Space Port in California. He talks about X-planes and their future and the Flight Opportunities program as well as commercial space partnerships with the agency.
NASA Administrator Bridenstine speaks to press in front of X-57 all electric aircraft that is being modified at Scaled Composites at Mojave Air & Space Port in California
NASA Administrator Bridenstine talks to press at Scaled Composites hangar at Mojave Air & Space Port in California. He talks about X-planes and their future and the Flight Opportunities program as well as commercial space partnerships with the agency.
NASA Administrator Bridenstine speaks to press in front of X-57 all electric aircraft that is being modified at Scaled Composites at Mojave Air & Space Port in California
Today's VIS image is located in a region that has been heavily modified by wind action. The narrow ridge/valley system seen in this image are a feature called yardangs. Yardangs form when unidirectional winds blow across poorly cemented materials. Multiple yardang directions can indicate changes in regional wind regimes.  Orbit Number: 64188 Latitude: -0.629314 Longitude: 206.572 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-06-03 01:20  http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20799
Wind Etching
This view from a NASA Dryden F-18 chase aircraft shows Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, which resumed Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project flights on Dec. 6, 2002.
This view from a NASA Dryden F-18 chase aircraft shows Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, which resumed Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project flights on Dec. 6, 2002.
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. modified F-5E in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project, which is part of the DARPA's Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program.
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. modified F-5E in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project, which is part of DARPA's Quiet Supers
The Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted securely atop one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, left NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California at sunrise on Friday, June 28.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted securely atop one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, left NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California at sunrise on Friday, June 28
The black X-43A rides on the front of a modified Pegasus booster rocket hung from the special pylon under the wing of NASA's B-52B mother ship. The photo was taken during a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004 to verify systems before an upcoming launch.
The black X-43A rides on the front of a modified Pegasus booster rocket hung from the special pylon under the wing of NASA's B-52B mother ship. The photo was taken during a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004 to verify systems before an upcoming launch
Northrop Grumman Corporation's modified U.S. Navy F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft flies over the company's Palmdale, California facilities on Aug. 2, 2003. NASA Dryden provided range, air and ground data-gathering support for the SSBD project, which is part of DARPA's Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program.
Northrop Grumman Corporation's modified U.S. Navy F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft flies over the company's Palmdale, Calif. facilities on Aug. 2, 2003
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft by NASA's B-52B launch aircraft from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on March 27, 2004. About an hour later the Pegasus booster was launched from the B-52 to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 7.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft by NASA's B-52B launch aircraft from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on March 27, 2004. About an hour later the Pegasus booster was launched from the B-52 to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 7.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket accelerate after launch from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on March 27, 2004. The mission originated from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Minutes later the X-43A separated from the Pegasus booster and accelerated to its intended speed of Mach 7.
he second X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster rocket accelerate after launch from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft by NASA's B-52B launch aircraft from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on March 27, 2004. About an hour later the Pegasus booster was launched from the B-52 to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 7.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket drop away from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on November 16, 2004. The mission originated from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Moments later the Pegasus booster ignited to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 10.
A modified Pegasus rocket drops away after release from NASA's B-52B before accelerating the X-43A over a Pacific Ocean test range on Nov. 16, 2004
Northrop Grumman Corporation's modified U.S. Navy F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft flies over Lake Isabella, California on Aug. 4, 2003. NASA Dryden provided range, air and ground data-gathering support for the SSBD project, which is part of DARPA's Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program.
Northrop Grumman Corporation's modified U.S. Navy F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft flies over Lake Isabella, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2003
The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft by NASA's B-52B launch aircraft from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on November 16, 2004. About an hour later the Pegasus booster was launched from the B-52 to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 10.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on November 16, 2004
In a role-reversal, Northrop Grumman Corp.'s modified F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft flies off the wing of NASA's F-15B Research testbed aircraft. The F-15B, from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, flew in the supersonic shockwave of the F-5E as part of the SSBD project. Following the two aircraft is an unmodified U.S. Navy F-5E used for baseline sonic boom measurements.
Northrop Grumman Corp.'s modified F-5E Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) aircraft flies off the wing of NASA's F-15B Research testbed aircraft.
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket drop away from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on March 27, 2004. The mission originated from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Moments later the Pegasus booster ignited to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 7.
A modified Pegasus rocket drops steadily away after release from NASA's B-52B, before accelerating the X-43A over the Pacific Ocean on March 27, 2004
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft by NASA's B-52B launch aircraft from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on March 27, 2004. About an hour later the Pegasus booster was launched from the B-52 to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 7.
NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket accelerate after launch from NASA's B-52B launch aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on March 27, 2004. The mission originated from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Minutes later the X-43A separated from the Pegasus booster and accelerated to its intended speed of Mach 7. In a combined research effort involving Dryden, Langley, and several industry partners, NASA demonstrated the value of its X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, as it became the first air-breathing, unpiloted, scramjet-powered plane to fly freely by itself. The March 27 flight, originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, began with the Agency's B-52B launch aircraft carrying the X-43A out to the test range over the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. The X-43A was boosted up to its test altitude of about 95,000 feet, where it separated from its modified Pegasus booster and flew freely under its own power.  Two very significant aviation milestones occurred during this test flight: first, controlled accelerating flight at Mach 7 under scramjet power, and second, the successful stage separation at high dynamic pressure of two non-axisymmetric vehicles. To top it all off, the flight resulted in the setting of a new aeronautical speed record. The X-43A reached a speed of over Mach 7, or about 5,000 miles per hour faster than any known aircraft powered by an air-breathing engine has ever flown.
A modified Pegasus rocket ignites moments after release from the B-52B, beginning the acceleration of the X-43A over the Pacific Ocean on March 27, 2004
NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cross-country journey will take two days, with stops at several intermediate points for refueling. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT, August 9, 2005, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.  During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station.  Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.  In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes.  Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay.  Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.
NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cross-country journey will take two days, with stops at several intermediate points for refueling. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT, August 9, 2005, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.  During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station.  Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.  In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes.  Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay.  Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.
NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cross-country journey will take two days, with stops at several intermediate points for refueling. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT, August 9, 2005, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.  During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station.  Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.  In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes.  Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay.  Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.
NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Tectonic stresses highly modified this area of Ganges Catena, north of Valles Marineris. The long, skinny ridges (called "wrinkle ridges") are evidence of compressional stresses in Mars' crust that created a crack (fault) where one side was pushed on top of the other side, also known as a thrust fault.  As shown by cross-cutting relationships, however, extensional stresses have more recently pulled the crust of Mars apart in this region. (HiRISE imaged this area in 2-by-2 binning mode, so a pixel represents a 50 x 50 square centimeter.)  http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21112
Wrinkle Ridges and Pit Craters
HiRISE has been operating since 2006, and lately many of our observations of gullies are repeat images designed to study changes. However, we are also collecting data over gullies never before seen at this resolution, to study their morphology and allow us to look for changes in the future.  This is the first HiRISE look at a cluster of gullies that appear modified or degraded—the gully fans have ripples and ridges that have formed since the last major gully activity, suggesting that they don't change very often, but we won't know for sure unless we look!  https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23666
A First Look at a Gullied Slope
In January 1958, a modified Redstone rocket lifted the first American satellite into orbit just 3 months after the the von Braun team received the go-ahead. This modified Redstone rocket was known as a Jupiter-C. Its satellite payload was called Explorer I.
Early Rockets
The Eclipse projectís modified QF-106 under tow by a USAF C-141A.
EC98-44398-10
Winds in this region have modified the surface, carving valleys into a poorly cemented material. The winds in this region blew to the northeast (north is to the top of the image, and sunlight is coming from the right). These linear valleys are called yardangs.  Orbit Number: 72445 Latitude: -9.22287 Longitude: 187.05 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-04-14 07:28  https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22604
Wind Erosion
The Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted securely atop one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, left NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California at sunrise on Friday, June 28, nine days after concluding mission STS-111 to the International Space Station with a landing at Edwards.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted securely atop one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, left NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California at sunrise on Friday, June 28, nine days after conclu
NASA's F-15B research testbed jet from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center flew in the supersonic shockwave of a Northrop Grumman Corp. modified U.S. Navy F-5E jet in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project, which is part of the DARPA's Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program. On Aug. 27, 2003, the F-5 SSBD aircraft demonstrated a method to reduce the intensity of sonic booms.
NASA's F-15B from the Dryden Flight Research Center flew in the supersonic shockwave of a modified U.S. Navy F-5E jet in support of the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project. On Aug. 27, 2003, the F-5 SSBD aircraft demonstrated a method to reduce
The Cassini spacecraft catches a glimpse of Janus, an irregularly shaped moon. Lacking sufficient gravity to pull itself into a round shape, Janus has had its lumpy primordial shape only slightly modified by impacts since its formation.
Lumpy Janus
Richard Kolyer unfolds the drone and prepares it for flight around the modified C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory, (KAO) (NASA-714).
Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) Demolition
Mission Director Stephen Patterson at his workstation at the console of the modified C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory, (KAO) (NASA-714).
Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) Demolition
A modified Space Shuttle Main Engine is static fired at Marshall's Technology Test Bed.
Space Shuttle Project
Demolition of the modified C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory, (KAO) (NASA-714), on the N211 apron at Moffett Field, California.
Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) Demolition
A modified Space Shuttle Main Engine is static fired at Marshall's Technology Test Bed.
Space Shuttle Project
The modified C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory, (KAO) (NASA-714), is demolished on the N211 apron at Moffett Field, California.
Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) Demolition
The modified C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory, (KAO) (NASA-714), is demolished on the N211 apron at Moffett Field, California.
Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) Demolition
The modified C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory, (KAO) (NASA-714), is demolished on the N211 apron at Moffett Field, California.
Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) Demolition
The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) test tower being modified for testing the Saturn booster.
Saturn Apollo Program