Suggested Searches

1 min read

Historic Formation Flight of NASA’s WB-57s Over Houston

Three WB-57s flying over fog with skyscrapers of downtown Houston in background
NASA's three WB-57s fly over foggy downtown Houston, Texas during their historic formation flight over the area on Nov. 19, 2015. This photo flight was the first time that all three WB-57s have been aloft simultaneously since the early 1970s, when the U.S. Air Force had an operational squadron of WB-57s.

NASA’s three WB-57s fly over foggy downtown Houston, Texas during their historic formation flight over the area on Nov. 19, 2015. This photo flight was the first time that all three WB-57s have been aloft simultaneously since the early 1970s, when the U.S. Air Force had an operational squadron of WB-57s.

These fully operational WB-57 aircraft are based near NASA’s Johnson Space Center at Ellington Field, home of the NASA WB-57 High Altitude Research Program, which provides unique, high-altitude airborne platforms to support scientific research and advanced technology development and testing. Mission examples include atmospheric and earth science, ground mapping, cosmic dust collection, rocket launch support, and testbed operations for future airborne or spaceborne systems.

Image Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz