NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Image above: NASA pilot Dick Ewers and Flight Test Engineer Marty Trout fly hands-off during the first-ever fully autonomous air refueling demonstration. Photo credit: NASA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), in a joint effort with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, recently flew the first-ever autonomous probe-and-drogue airborne refueling operation over the Edwards Air Force Base test range.

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