The Proteus is a unique aircraft designed as a high-altitude, long-duration telecommunications relay platform, with potential for use on atmospheric sampling and Earth monitoring science missions as well.
It was designed by Burt Rutan, president of Scaled Composites, and built during 1997-98 at the firm’s development facility in Mojave, CA. Normally flown by two pilots in a pressurized cabin, the Proteus also has potential to perform its missions semi-autonomously.
The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas is the home of the NASA WB-57 High Altitude Research Program.
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA rests in NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center hangars in Palmdale, California.
The nose of the Super Guppy Turbine was opened at sunrise on Monday, November 25, 2019 revealing the packaged Orion spacecraft inside.
The team that supported the flight of the NACA D-558-II Skyrocket at the High-Speed Flight Station at South Base, Edwards AFB.