
The X-38 Vehicle 131R drops away from its launch pylon on the wing of NASA’s NB-52B mothership as it begins its eighth free flight on Thursday, December 13, 2001
The X-38 prototype of the Crew Return Vehicle for the International Space Station drops away from its launch pylon on the wing of NASA's NB-52B mothership as it begins its eighth free flight on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001. The 13-minute test flight of X-38 vehicle 131R was the longest and fastest and was launched from the highest altitude to date in the X-38's atmospheric flight test program. A portion of the descent was flown under remote control by a NASA astronaut from a ground vehicle configured like the CRV's interior before the X-38 made an autonomous landing on Rogers Dry Lake.
Image Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas
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https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/amf-ec01-0339-33/
TakenDecember 13, 2001
ProducerAFRC
Image CreditNASA/Carla Thomas
Size1920x1536px
PIA NumberEC01-0339-33