Space History Photo: SR-71 Landing with Drag Chute

News
By NASA Archives
published

space history, NASA, unique aircraft
The SR-71, on loan from the U.S. Air Force, deploys its drag chute before its nose gear touches the runway after a research flight. (Image credit: NASA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, one of two initial U.S. Air Force SR-71A reconnaissance aircraft that was retired from operational service and loaned to NASA for high-speed research programs arrives at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California in January of 1990.

The aircraft deployed its drag chute even before its nose gear touches the runway at the end of a 1990 research flight. Dryden flew three YF-12 aircraft, prototypes of the triple-sonic SR-71s, in an earlier supersonic research program between 1969 and 1979.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

NASA Archives
NASA Archives
U.S. Space Agency

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Founded in 1958, NASA is a civilian space agency aimed at exploring the universe with space telescopes,  satellites, robotic spacecraft, astronauts and more. The space agency has 10 major centers based across the U.S. and launches robotic and crewed missions from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. It's astronaut corps is based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. To follow NASA's latest mission, follow the space agency on Twitter or any other social channel, of visit: nasa.gov.