NASA Aircraft and Missions

Various NASA aircraft involved in space missions and training, highlighting space exploration technology and scientific advances.

IL-96-400 VIP airliner of the Russian Federal Security Service taxiing.

Northrop Grumman's Pegasus XL rocket, containing NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), is attached beneath the company's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft at the hot pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on Oct. 14, 2018. The Stargazer will take off from the hot pad and travel to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Pegasus XL rocket will launch ICON from the Skid Strip at the Cape. ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. The explorer will help determine the physics of Earth's space environment and pave the way for mitigating its effects on our technology and communications systems.

NASA's Crew Transport Vehicle, or CTV, pulls up to the Space Shuttle Discovery to offload the crew after a successful landing August 9, 2005 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The landing marked the end of the STS-114 mission.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 this morning, 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 pro

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, taxis to the runway at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-124 Commander Mark Kelly and Pilot Ken Ham are practicing space shuttle landings. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. The crew for space shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission is at Kennedy for a full launch dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. Providing astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, TCDT includes equipment familiarization and emergency t

NASA Dryden's DC-8 on the ramp at Jaun Santamaria International Airport, San Jose, Costa Rica during the AirSAR 2004 campaign. AirSAR 2004 is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR), in a mission ranging from the tropical rain forests of Central America to frigid Antarctica.

OC-135B reconnaissance aircraft of the U.S. Air Force taking off, Kubinka, Russia.

IL-96-400 VIP airliner of the Russian Federal Security Service taxiing.

Falcon Business Jet

NASA's DC-8 Airborne Science research aircraft, in new colors and markings, in flight Feb. 24, 2004. Dark panels on lower fuselage are synthetic aperture radar antennas enabling sophisticated studies of Earth features.

The NASA DC-8 airplane sits on the tarmac, Monday, Aug. 16, 2010, at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. , as preparations continue for its part in the GRIP experiment. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment is a NASA Earth science field experiment in 2010 that is being conducted to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes.

An air launch control center (ALCC) EC-135 Stratotanker aircraft is parked on the flight line. Base: Vandenberg Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Boeing 737 stands on the flight line at Kuwait International Airport after transporting released Kuwaiti prisoners of war back to their country. The POWs were held by Iraqi forces during Operation Desert Storm.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Base: Kuwait City Country: Kuwait(KWT)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This three -dimensional view at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shows the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, as it is being prepared for its ferry flight to California.This image may be viewed in 3-D with red and blue glasses.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

An air-to-air left side view of a KC-10 Extender aircraft. Country: Unknown

An IL-76MD military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force performing go around, Russia.

An-124 Ruslan military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the camera view from under the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft finds space shuttle Discovery at the mate-demate device, in the distance. Operations are under way to lift Discovery on top of the aircraft. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

A left side view of a C-140 JetStar aircraft parked on the flight line. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) taxis into the parking area of KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. The STA is a modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulfstream II executive jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. It is used by Shuttle flight crews to practice landing the orbiter. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. The orbiter differs in at least one major aspect from conventional aircraft; it is unpowered during re-entry and landing so its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time there is no go-around capability. The orbiter touchdown speed is 213 to 226 miles (343 to 364 kilometers) per hour. There are two STAs, based in Houston

An AN-124 Russian transport aircraft from Moscow arrives at Kigali Airport with a load of Canadian equipment and supplies in support of the relief effort. Subject Operation/Series: RESTORE HOPE Base: Kigali Country: Russia (RUS)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- One of two shuttle training aircraft, or STA, taxis out to the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-118 Commander Scott Kelly and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh are each piloting one of the STAs for landing practice. The practice is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, activities that include a simulated launch countdown. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. The STS-118 mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch on Aug. 7. The mission payload aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour includes the S5 truss, a SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. NASA/George Shelton

The Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft has arrived at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Attached beneath the Stargazer is the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL with NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) on board. CYGNSS was processed and prepared for its mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is scheduled for its airborne launch aboard the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip on Dec. 12. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Northrop Grumman's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft has arrived at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Oct. 1, 2019. The company's Pegasus XL rocket, containing NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), is attached beneath the aircraft. ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, painted graphics line the side of NASA 905 depicting the various ferry flights the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft has supported during the Space Shuttle Program, including the tests using the space shuttle prototype Enterprise, and the names of the pilots and flight engineers who have flown it. Operations are under way at the mate-demate device, in the background, to lift Discovery on top of the aircraft. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery

Antonov 124, plane

A U.S. Air National Guard KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 157th Air Refueling Wing, Pease ANG Base, New Hampshire, rests on the flight line at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Jan. 19, 2023.With greater refueling, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities compared to the KC-135 Stratotanker, the KC-46A will provide next generation aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and partner-nation receivers.

An aircraft tug tows NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory 747SP into Hangar 703 upon arrival at its base, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif.

British Airways Concord aeroplane on the apron by the VIP Suite at Heathrow Airport in London, UK

A front ground view of the KC-10A Extender aircraft during the rollout ceremony. Country: Unknown

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.

Antonow An-225, Cologne Bonn Airport, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry boards his Air Force C32A - a military version of the Boeing 757 - at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, on May 19, 2015, after visiting the Boeing Co.'s 737 factory in nearby Renton, Washington, to deliver a speech focused on U.S. and Pacific regional trade policy, and at the conclusion of a trip that took him to China and the Republic of Korea.

IL-96-400 VIP airliner of the Russian Federal Security Service.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft moves into position under space shuttle Discovery suspended 60 feet off the ground in the mate-demate device. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a Boeing 747 jet originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. Discoverys new home will be the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Side View of Lockheed VC-121A. Side View of Lockheed VC-121A. "Washington, D.C.On the ground side view of the Lockheed VC-121A aircraft, Columbine II, at National Airport. It was selected by President Eisenhower for special missions."

USA, Arizona, Tucson, Pima Air and Space Museum, Lockheed L-049 'Constellation'.

IL-62M airplane of the the Russian Air Force.

An air-to-air side view of a 438th Airlift Wing, C-141 Starlifter, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The C-141, tail #70166, with a white painted fuselage is used to transport senior civilian and military officials. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Base: Mcguire Air Force Base State: New Jersey (NJ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Northrop Grumman's L-1011 Stargazer prepares for takeoff June 6, 2018, from the hot pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The company's Pegasus XL rocket, containing NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), is attached beneath the aircraft. The explorer will launch on June 15, 2018, from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands (June 14 in the continental United States). ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. The explorer will help determine the physics of Earth's space environment and pave the way for mitigating its effects on our technology, communications systems and society.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, touched down at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida at 5:05 p.m. EDT to prepare for shuttle Endeavours ferry flight to the Los Angeles International Airport on Sept. 17.This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, originally manufactured for commercial use. One of two SCAs employed over the course of the Space Shuttle Program, NASA 905 is assigned to the final ferry mission. Endeavour will be placed on permanent public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

An artist's concept of the proposed cargo experimental aircraft design submitted by Lockheed. The aircraft is a long range, air refuelable, all-weather turbofan aircraft designed to operate out of small airfields. Country: Unknown

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASAs Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, has arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, after a 5-hour flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California.During the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites.

Skybus Jet Cargo Douglas DC-8-73CF airport Miami in the USA Miami, USA-November 15, 2022: A Douglas DC-8-73CF aircraft from Skybus Jet Cargo with the license plate OB-2158-P at Miami Mia Airport in the USA.

KWAJALEIN ATOLL, Marshall Islands - Orbital Sciences' L-1011 carrier aircraft has arrived at the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, delivering Orbitals Pegasus rocket and NASAs Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.The Pegasus, mated to its NuSTAR payload, will be launched from the carrier aircraft 117 nautical miles south of Kwajalein at latitude 6.75 degrees north of the equator. The high-energy X-ray telescope will conduct a census of black holes, map radioactive material in young supernovae remnants, and study the origins of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars. Launch and deployment of the telescope is scheduled for June 13.

NASA N941NA is the last Super Guppy Turbine Cargo Airplane in service.

DF-ST-88-02938. Base: Norton Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory taxis past Hangar 1, the 1930s-era dirigible hangar at Moffett Field, during its first visit to NASA Ames Research Center.

A right side view of a T-43A aircraft parked on the flight line. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Total Force - The Super Guppy made a VERY rare stop at Tinker Air Force Base today for some gas on its way to Florida. The NASA aircraft was delivering an Orion Heatshield for a mission expected a few years from now.

An air-to-air, three quarter front view of a McDonnell Douglas-built C-9A Nightingale aircraft, with a Beech Aircraft built C-12F and a Lear Jet built C-21A flying off the left wing of the C-9. All aircraft are from the 375th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command. Base: Scott Air Force Base State: Illinois (IL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Vice President Pence arrives at Kennedy Space Center on July 20, 2019 in celebration of the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary. While at Kennedy, he recognized the historic mission, by visiting the missions launch site, pad 39a, and addressed NASAs future plans to travel to the Moon and on to Mars.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Various vehicles and equipment surround space shuttle Discovery on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Discovery landed on Runway 15, ending the 14-day, STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery is being purged -- providing cool and humidified air conditioning to the payload bay and other cavities to remove any residual explosive or toxic fumes - while still on the runway. Cooling transfer to ground services occurs at about the same time, allowing onboard cooling to be shut down. When it is determined that the area in and around the orbiter is safe, the crew prepares for departure from the orbiter. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Congressional Delegation Oversight Visit - 26-HK-7-146. USA aircraft preparing to depart from ATC ramp. Hurricane Katrina

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.

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. - An Orbital Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft flies over the Pacific Ocean off the California coast on a mission to launch NASA's IRIS spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket released from the bottom of the L-1011.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - NASAs Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, mated to Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket, rolls toward Orbitals L-1011 carrier aircraft at the “hot pad,” located on the ramp adjacent to the runway on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Operations are under way to attach the rocket beneath the L-1011 aircraft.The duo will be flown from Vandenberg to the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus and its NuSTAR payload will be launched June 13 from the carrier aircraft 117 nautical miles south of Kwajalein at latitude 6.75 degrees north of the equator. The high-energy X-ray telescope will conduct a census of black holes, map radioactive material in young supernovae remnants, and study the origins of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars.

Nose of a parked Boeing 747 at Taiwan Airport.

KC-10A Extender aircraft stand on the flight line prior to deploying to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Base: Pope Air Force Base State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-86-09743. Base: Naval Air Station, Miramar State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A 117-foot P-3B NASA research aircraft is seen on the tarmac at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Baltimore, Md. The aircraft is part of a month-long field campaign designed to improve satellite measurements of air pollution. The name of the experiment -- Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER -- AQ) -- is a mouthful, but its purpose is simple. Come July, the aircraft will be flying spirals over six ground stations in Maryland.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Boeing 727-200 aircraft used for weightless flights by Zero Gravity Corporation, known as ZERO-G, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., lands after taking a group of passengers for demonstration. NASA and ZERO-G demonstrated Nov. 5 the expanded access to and use of the space shuttle's runway and landing facility at Kennedy Space Center for non-NASA activities. This group of passengers, called "Flyers," were predominantly teachers who performed simple microgravity experiments they can share with their students back in the classroom.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is ready for flight on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe will fly two Gulfstream II business jets that are modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. Practice landings are part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), which provides each shuttle crew and launch team an opportunity to participate in various simulated activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training at the launch pad.Space shuttle Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Orbital Sciences' L-1011 aircraft takes off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the Pegasus XL rocket/Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) under its belly. Release of the Pegasus was scheduled for about 8 a.m. over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of 39,000 feet at a location approximately 100 nautical miles offshore east-northeast of Cape Canaveral. Spacecraft separation from the Pegasus occurs 11 minutes later. At that time the satellite will be in a circular orbit of 431 statute miles (690 km) at a 29-degree inclination. The GALEX will carry into space an orbiting telescope that will observe a million galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history to help astronomers determine when the stars and elements we see today had their origins. The spacecraft will sweep the skies for 28 months using state-of-the-art ultraviolet detectors to single out galaxies dominated by young, hot, short-lived stars that give off a great deal of energy at that

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery is pushed from the mate_demate device on NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to NASA Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21. The SCA is in the background. Discovery will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello still inside will be removed from the payload bay and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. The orbiter will then begin processing for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 2006.

Nearly ten aircrews and their U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft, assigned to Patrol Squadron 10, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, found shelter from Hurricane Ian at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, Sept. 28, 2022. Selfridge Air National Guard Base's extensive ramp space routinely provides hurricane refuge for aircraft in the path of extreme weather scenarios.

NASAs Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a Boeing 747SP aircraft, flies past the main ramp at the 2022 Aerospace Valley Open House, Air Show and STEM Expo at Edwards Air Force Base, California on Oct. 14-16.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, equipment is removed from the Russian Antonov AH-124-100 cargo airplane to facilitate offloading of the primary cargo, the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. The components are the Kibo Exposed Facility, or EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES. The EF provides a multipurpose platform where science experiments can be deployed and operated in the exposed environment. The payloads attached to the EF can be exchanged or retrieved by Kibo's robotic arm, the JEM Remote Manipulator System. The ELM-ES will be attached to the end of the EF to provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. In addition, the ELM-ES provides a logistics function where it can be detached from the EF and returned to the ground aboard the space shuttle. The two JEM components will b

Pan American Airlines Boeing 727-21 Commercial Jet In-Flight, 1960's

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Orbital Sciences' L-1011 aircraft waits for takeoff time between 7:50 and 9:50 a.m. EDT. Attached underneath is the Pegasus XL rocket with its payload, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), due to be released about 8 a.m. The GALEX will carry into space an orbiting telescope that will observe a million galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history to help astronomers determine when the stars and elements we see today had their origins. The spacecraft will sweep the skies for 28 months using state-of-the-art ultraviolet detectors to single out galaxies dominated by young, hot, short-lived stars that give off a great deal of energy at that wavelength. These galaxies are actively creating stars, and therefore provide a window into the history and causes of star formation in galaxies.

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) returns to NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703 on Aug. 11 after a productive month of science flights out of Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand.

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia on top takes off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip. In the foreground is another SCA, which brought Atlantis back to KSC from California. The ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The pathfinder” aircraft for space shuttle Discovery’s ferry flight arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The NASA C-9 aircraft will fly about 100 miles ahead of Discovery to scout for the safest route between destinations. Its crew includes an SCA flight engineer who studies the weather patterns along the flight path to find a route free of rain and other turbulence. The carrier aircraft, also known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, and is assigned to all remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. After its arrival at Dulles, Discovery will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy C

Practicing takeoffs and landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft in the late afternoon sunlight, STS-95 Mission Commander Curtis L. Brown Jr. taxis across the Shuttle Landing Facility (at left) while Pilot Steven W. Lindsey waits his turn (at right). The STA is designed to fly like the Shuttle. Brown, Lindsey and the rest of the crew are at KSC for final launch preparations. STS-95 is expected to launch at 2 p.m. EST on Oct. 29, last 8 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes, and land at 11:49 a.m. EST on Nov. 7. Other crew members are Mission Specialist Scott E. Parazynski, Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson, Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr., senator from Ohio, Mission Specialist Pedro Duque, with the European Space Agency (ESA), and Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai, with the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA)

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) lands, Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., completing its 39th and final flight. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles.

IL-80 (IL-86VKP) flying command post of the Russian Air Force

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the Antonov 124 aircraft delivers its cargo, the remote manipulator system for the Japanese Experiment Module. The JEM, named "Kibo" (Hope), is Japan's primary contribution to the International Space Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the laboratory. Both the JEM and RMS are targeted for mission STS-124, to launch in early 2008.

A Boeing 747-200 from Wardair (Canada) in the landing at Schiphol Airport.

SOFIA (Stratospheric Ovservatory for Infrared Astronomy) visit to Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA landing and taxi to tower

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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Super Guppy cargo airplane parks on the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC before offloading the Long Spacer (LS), the second and final piece of the Starboard 6 (S6) Integrated Truss Segment. The LS will be transported to the Space Station Processing Facility for inspections and verification tests. Eventually the LS will be integrated with the S6 Integrated Equipment Assembly already at KSC and will fly as one segment to the International Space Station on Space Shuttle mission STS-119 in early 2004. Together the segment pieces weigh 26,000 pounds and measure 45 feet long. .

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo arrives in Wichita, Kansas, on October 23, 2019.

The Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft has arrived at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Attached beneath the Stargazer is the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL with NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) on board. CYGNSS was processed and prepared for its mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is scheduled for its airborne launch aboard the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip on Dec. 12. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Aircraft, lettering "Fly with me", clouds, sky

Air to air left side view of a 4th Air Command and Control Squadron EC-135 flying a training mission near its' home base, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota where it is based. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Unknown

IL-80 (IL-86VKP) flying command post of the Russian Air Force taking off.

Westjet Boeing 737-800 Landing in Toronto, Canada

DF-ST-89-09811. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

IL-62M airliner of Russian Air Force landing.

Cologne Airfield, Germany - An Airbus 340 acting as Air Force One for the German Air Force.

Aircraft, clouds, sky

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) approaches the Shuttle Landing Facility after flying weather reconnaissance for the landing of Endeavour, returning from mission STS-111. Low cloud cover and other unfavorable weather conditions resulted in the wave off of two landing opportunities. The STA was flown by astronaut Kent Rominger

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The "Super Guppy" transport aircraft approaches the runway at the KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. On board is the S0 (S Zero) truss segment, from Boeing in Huntington Beach, Calif. The truss segment, which will become the backbone of the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), is a 44- by 15-foot structure weighing 30,800 pounds when fully outfitted and ready for launch. It will be at the center of the 10-truss, girderlike structure that will ultimately extend the length of a football field on the ISS. Eventually the S0 truss will be attached to the U.S. Lab, "Destiny," scheduled to be added to the ISS in April 2000. Later, other trusses will be attached to the S0 truss on-orbit. During processing at KSC, the S0 truss will have installed the Canadian Mobile Transporter, power distribution system modules, a heat pipe radiator for cooling, computers, and a pair of rate gyroscopes. Four Global Positioning System antennas are already installed. The S0 trus

OR, Tillamook, Tillamook Air Museum, with Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy airplane

Xining, CHN, 27.02.09 - A Boeing 737-800 from Chinese Air China is being prepared for the next flight at Xining airport. A Boeing 737-800 sits on the Tarmac at Xining Airport, CHINA

Northrop Grumman's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft has arrived at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Oct. 1, 2019. The company's Pegasus XL rocket, containing NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), is attached beneath the aircraft. ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above.

The KC-135 with the winglets in flight over the San Gabriel mountains, south of Edwards AFB. While wind tunnel tests suggested that winglets - developed by NASA Langley's Richard Whitcomb - would significantly reduce drag, flight research proved their usefulness. Winglets were installed on an Air Force KC-135 and research flights were made in 1979 and 1980. These showed drag in flight was reduced by as much as 7 percent. Winglets soon appeared on production aircraft, although these were smaller than those mounted on the KC-135.

of 2