Topic: Edwards Air Force Base

Green flights? NASA explores biofuel use in planes.

Commercial jets could fly safely with a blend of jet fuel that includes a plant oil, NASA researchers said Thursday. NASA is one of several government agencies examining the use of renewable biofuels to reduce dependency on foreign oil while reducing carbon emissions.

Space shuttle Endeavour touches down (+video)

The space shuttle Endeavour landed in California on its way to its final resting place. On the way, it made a flyover in Tucson, Arizona where former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly, Endeavour's retired commander, were watching. 

Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off for last time, heading to California

The space shuttle Endeavour, bolted atop a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, left its Florida home port for the last time on Wednesday and headed to California to begin a new mission as a museum exhibit.

Horizons Hypersonic X-51A WaveRider nosedives in Pacific Ocean

The X-51A WaveRider, a hypersonic missile currently being tested by the US Air Force, has again failed to hit Mach 5 speeds. 

Toting a fake Space Shuttle nose, NASA's 'Super Guppy' touches down in Seattle

A reporter shares his first-hand flight experience aboard NASA's Super Guppy, designed for carrying massive payloads.

Drones over America. Are they spying on you?

Thousands of drones could be routinely flying over the United States within the next 10 years. They can help with law enforcement and border control, but they also raise questions about invasion of privacy.

Space Shuttle Enterprise sails to New York

Named for the iconic 'Star Trek' spacecraft, the Enterprise was the first of NASA's fleet of space shuttles. 

The space shuttle named by Star Trek fans makes its final voyage

The space shuttle Enterprise arrived in New York City at its new home on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, now named the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

Space Shuttle Enterprise arrives in New York. Where will the other shuttles go? (+video)

Like the Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise, which is now on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, NASA's three real space shuttles — the ones that rocketed into orbit — also will spend their retirement in museums.

Grounded space shuttles find new homes

NASA's retired space shuttle orbiters are making their way to museums around the country.

The 9 weirdest things ever flown on the Space Shuttle

When NASA's space shuttles launch into orbit, they don't just carry astronauts and supplies into the final frontier. There's a lot of other weird stuff that makes the out-of-this-world journey, too. NASA's last space shuttle mission will launch Friday, July 8 on the Atlantis orbiter to deliver spare parts to the International Space Station. The mission will be the 135th and last flight for the program, which began in 1981. But over the course of 30 years, the space shuttles have flown some peculiar objects into orbit. The list of odd stuff that flew aboard the shuttles is a long one, and includes the Olympic torch, a replica of the golden spike from the First Transcontinental Railroad, and rocks from the top of Mount Everest and the surface of the moon, just to name a few. Here nine recent space oddities carried into orbit on NASA shuttles:
07/08/2011 03:53 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day: Space Shuttle Discovery

Remembering the Challenger: Five ways it changed spaceflight

Twenty-five years ago Friday, the space shuttle Challenger came to a tragic end, exploding on liftoff and claiming the lives of seven astronauts. We remember the loss of the Challenger and its crew, yet we often forget the contributions it made to space exploration. The night of the disaster, President Ronald Reagan told the nation: “The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.” Here are five ways the Challenger pushed spaceflight forward. Join The Monitor's discussion on Facebook.
01/28/2011 10:14 am

In Pictures Space photos of the day: Coming home

F-35 jet program feels budgetary pressure

F-35 jet: Hounded by controversy for much of the past two years, the F-35 has become the poster child for troubled, vastly over-budget military weapons programs.
01/06/2011 03:48 pm

DARPA's mysterious X-37B Space Plane Earth-bound

X-37B Space Plane will return to Earth as early as this week. No word on declassification of its mission or costs to taxpayers.
12/01/2010 12:58 am

Secret US X-37B space plane could be coming to end of mission

The US Air Force's secret X-37B space plane remains in Earth orbit, but its initial mission might be coming to an end.
11/24/2010 10:32 am

In Pictures Space photos of the day: Ignition

In Pictures Space photos of the day 09/08

Tehachapi fire burns 20,000 acres, is 25 percent contained

The Tehachapi fire is actually two separate blazes that had burned as many as 40 homes by mid-day Wednesday.
07/28/2010 05:57 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day 06/30

In Pictures Space photos of the day 06/29

Cool Astronomy Test of scramjet-powered X-51A engine [VIDEO]

The US Air Force's experimental X-51A Waverider scramjet has set a new record for hypersonic travel.
05/27/2010 07:43 pm

US Air Force's X-51A Waverider scramjet sets hypersonic flight record

After flying at five times the speed of sound for more than three minutes Wednesday, the US Air Force's experimental X-51A Waverider scramjet has set a new record for the longest hypersonic combustion ramjet-powered flight.
05/27/2010 03:00 pm

Final day in orbit for space shuttle Atlantis

The six astronauts flying aboard space shuttle Atlantis are working Tuesday to prepare their spacecraft for its final planned return home.
05/25/2010 12:14 pm