X-38 aircraft descending under its steerable parafoil parachute (not seen) after being released from a US Air Force B-52 bomber. This unpiloted aircra

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X-38 aircraft descending under its steerable parafoil parachute (not seen) after being released from a US Air Force B-52 bomber. This unpiloted aircraft is part of an effort to build a Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) for the International Space Station (ISS). If there was an emergency on the ISS, the CRV would glide through the atmosphere before opening a parachute to slow its descent, followed by its steerable parachute. Here, the X- 38 was released at a height of It flew for 31 seconds before its first parachute opened. This test flight took place at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, California, USA, on 9 July 1999.

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Size: 2995px × 2391px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -38, aeronautics, aeroplane, aircraft, airplane, america, american, california, center, centre, crew, crv, dryden, emergency, escape, flight, flying, nasa, plane, research, return, space, spaceflight, states, test, testing, transportation, united, unmanned, unpiloted, usa, vehicle