NASA Aerial Photographer Completes 1,000th Flight

NASA aerial photographer Carla Thomas captured this top-down view of the Space Shuttle Endeavor mounted on a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from an inverted F/A-18 on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, over the Mojave Desert in California. The shuttle, returning to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards, California, and was prepared nearby at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for the return trip to Kennedy.

NASA aerial photographer Carla Thomas captured this top-down view of the Space Shuttle Endeavor mounted on a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from an inverted F/A-18 on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, over the Mojave Desert in California. The shuttle, returning to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards, California, and was prepared nearby at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for the return trip to Kennedy.

Photographer NASA/Carla Thomas
NASA s Armstrong Flight Research CenterAFRCCarla Thomasaerial photographerF A-18NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier AircraftEndeavourSR-71Capsule Parachute Assembly SystemSonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence programEdwards Air Force BaseCalifornia