NASA 

National Aeronautics and 

Facts

Space Administration 

Dryden Flight Research Center 

P.O. Box 273

Edwards, California 93523 

Voice 661-276-3449 

FAX 661-276-3566 

pao@dfrc.nasa.gov FS-2004-12-005 DFRC 

B-52B "Mothership" Launch Aircraft

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified 

Pegasus rocket, on November 16, 2004. NASA photo ED04-0320-16 by Tom Tschida. 

NASA's venerable B-52B launch aircraft, operated by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, has 

participated in some of the most significant projects in aerospace history. At retirement, the air launch and 

research aircraft held the distinction of being NASA’s oldest aircraft, as well as being the oldest B-52 on flying 

status. At the same time, it had the lowest number of flying hours (2443.8) of any B-52 in operation, having 

been used exclusively in the role it continued to perform so reliably for nearly 50 years. 

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The B-52B, registration number 52-0008 (NASA tail 

number 008), rolled out of Boeing's Seattle plant as an RB52B, and first flew on June 11, 1955. The aircraft was the 

10th B-52 to come off the Boeing assembly line and was a 

U.S. Air Force test aircraft before it was assigned to

support the X-15 research aircraft program at Dryden in 

1959. 

Missions 

X-15 Program 

NASA 008 was one of two B-52s used as "motherships" to 

air-launch the three rocket-powered X-15 aircraft for 

research flights. Aircraft 008 was the launch aircraft on 106 

of the X-15 flights, flying a total of 161 captive-carry and 

launch missions in the X-15 program. 

The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years – 

June 1959 to October 1968 – and set world speed and 

altitude records of Mach 6.7 and 354,200 feet in a program 

that investigated all aspects of manned hypersonic flight. 

Those records stood for almost 40 years. Information 

gained from the highly successful X-15 program 

contributed to development of the Mercury, Gemini, 

Apollo, and Space Shuttle manned space flight programs. 

The other B-52 used in the X-15 program, tail number 003, 

was retired in 1969 and is on permanent display at the 

Pima County Air Museum in Tucson, Ariz. 

The Lifting Bodies 

Between 1966 and 1975, B-52 008 was the launch aircraft 

for 127 of the 144 flights of wingless lifting body aircraft 

that contributed to development of the Space Shuttle. 

Lifting bodies obtain aerodynamic lift from the shape of 

their bodies. The addition of fins and control surfaces 

NASA's workhorse B-52B 008 flies over research pilot Bill 

Dana in 1969 following an HL-10 lifting body mission. 

NASA photo ECN 2203. 

allowed research pilots to stabilize and control the vehicles 

and maintain a predetermined flight path. Research flights 

with the vehicles proved that vehicles entering the 

atmosphere from space could be maneuvered to a safe 

runway landing - paving the way for full development of 

the space shuttle. 

Space Shuttle Program Support 

In 1977 and l978, and again in the 1983-1985 time period, 

008 was used as the launch aircraft in the test and development of the parachute recovery system used to recover the 

Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters. 

From July to October of l990, the veteran B-52B was used 

for a series of eight tests of a drag chute deployment 

system to be installed on Space Shuttle orbiters. 

The drag chutes permit the orbiters to land safely in a 

shorter distance and also help reduce tire and brake wear. 

The test unit, consisting of the test drag chute and its 

attachment and deployment systems, was installed in the 

tail of NASA 008, along with instrumentation to record 

loads and pressures on the deployed parachute and on the 

structure of the aircraft. 

Tests were carried out at landing speeds ranging from 160 

to 230 mph on a lakebed runway and also on the main 

concrete runway at Edwards. They demonstrated the 

initiation, deployment, inflation, and overall operation of 

the orbiter drag chute system. Data from the tests were 

used to validate predicted loads. 

First operational use of the drag chute system was on 

Shuttle Endeavour, newest of the Space Shuttle fleet, 

during its first landing, May 16, 1992. 

Miscellaneous Support 

NASA 008 was the launch aircraft for several remotely 

piloted aircraft flown by Dryden in the 1970s and l980s to 

study spin-stall, high angle of attack, and maneuvering 

characteristics. They were the sub-scale F-15 spin research 

vehicle; the Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology, or 

HiMAT research aircraft; and the Drones for Aerodynamic 

and Structural Testing, or DAST project, which 

investigated aerodynamic loads alleviation. 

The first of four lengthy series of test flights began in 1979 

for a U. S. Air Force project to certify an extension of the 

operational life of the parachute recovery system on the 

F-111 crew escape module. The tests concluded in 1992. 

The tests, using 008 as the airdrop vehicle for the parachute 

test articles, were part of a continuing Air Force program to 

improve the recovery system's capability. 

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NASA 008 was used as the air launch platform for the first 

six commercially developed Pegasus rocket boosters. The 

three-stage Pegasus is designed to put a payload into earth 

orbit after being launched horizontally from a carrier 

aircraft's wing. 

Pegasus was developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation 

under sponsorship of the Defense Advanced Research 

Projects Agency as part of the agency's Advanced Space 

Technology Program. 

The first Pegasus launch from NASA 008 was on April 5, 

1990, over the Pacific Ocean, about 60 miles southwest of 

Monterey, Calif. 

NASA 008’s primary mission for several years was 

launching the X-38 crew return vehicle. The maiden freeflight of the X-38 prototype space station lifeboat occurred 

in March 1998. Mission support continued until the X-38 

project was cancelled in 2001. 

Hyper-X 

In its final role in aerospace history, NASA 008 served as 

the launch aircraft for NASA's Hyper-X program. The 

program's primary purpose was to explore an alternative to 

rocket power for space access vehicles. The Hyper-X 

program consisted of three unpiloted 12-foot long, 

hypersonic scramjet-powered X-43A research vehicles. 

The first X-43A vehicle was lost on June 2, 2001, 

following termination of the flight after the Pegasusderived booster rocket deviated from the planned 

trajectory. 

The second X-43A launch proved the concept of 

hypersonic scramjet-powered flight. On March 27, 2004, 

NASA 008 carried the X-43A, mounted on a modified 

Pegasus booster rocket, up to the drop altitude of 40,000 

feet. The rocket boosted the X-43A up to its test altitude of 

about 95,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean, where the X43A separated from the booster and flew freely at its test 

speed of Mach 6.8. This was the first time an air-breathing 

scramjet powered aircraft had flown freely. In the process, 

it set a new world speed record for flight powered by an 

air-breathing engine. 

The third and final X-43A also flew successfully on Nov. 

16, 2004, following launch from NASA 008 on its final 

research mission. This X-43A, also launched from 40,000 

feet, was boosted to a test altitude of 110,000 feet and a 

speed of about Mach 9.6. 

It is interesting to note that NASA 008's first and last 

missions launched hypersonic research vehicles, the first 

being launch of the number one X-15 in 1960. 

Retirement 

Having participated in some of the most significant 

projects in aerospace history, NASA 008 was formally 

retired on Dec. 17, 2004. A joint NASA and U.S. Air Force 

ceremony marked the occasion. 

Aircraft Modifications 

After coming to NASA, a major structural modification to 

the B-52B was the cutout of a large notch in the aircraft’s 

right inboard wing flap to accommodate the vertical tail on 

the three X-15 aircraft. This notch also served the Pegasus 

and Hyper-X projects. 

Installation of various pylons used to carry research 

vehicles and test articles to be air dropped occurred over 

the years. The pylons were attached under the right wing 

between the inboard engine pod and fuselage. Each pylon 

was subjected to extensive drag, airflow and loads testing 

before use. On a historical note, the pylon used to attach 

the X-43A and its booster to the B-52B is the same pylon 

used for the X-15 program. 

Special instrumentation was installed aboard NASA 008 to 

record and transmit test and research data and video to the 

Dryden Mission Control Room or other receivers during 

research missions. A second Launch Panel Operator 

position was added to augment the existing one for the 

Hyper-X program. 

Aircraft Specifications 

The NASA B-52B was powered by eight Pratt & Whitney 

J-57-19 turbojet engines, each producing 12,000 pounds of 

thrust with water injection. The aircraft had a top speed of 

390 knots (448 mph) and a maximum operating altitude of 

more than 50,000 feet. It is 156 feet long, and has a 

wingspan of 185 feet. 

The heaviest load the B-52B carried since it became a 

NASA launch aircraft was 53,100 pounds – the No. 2 X-15 

with external fuel tanks used during that aircraft’s fastest 

flights. The second heaviest load, at 47,772 pounds, was 

the space shuttle solid rocket booster recovery system tests, 

while the third heaviest load carried was the Pegasus 

rocket, weighing in at 41,152 pounds. 

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