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versatile research platform it is today. Importantly, by acquiring an aircraft that was already being removed from US Navy active service, NASA was able to obtain the aircraft at no cost to taxpayers.
NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER
When most people think of NASA, they think of rockets, space stations, interplanetary probes and The Right Stuff. However, they'd be missing out on an entirely different side of NASA that impacts their lives every day in ways they can't even imagine
Each and every day, thousands of dedicated professionals, scientists, researchers, technicians and others go to work at one of NASA's 15 centers and facilities that are pushing the known limits of space and aeronautic research. Among them is the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio.
An entire special issue of Aviation Photojournal could easily be devoted to GRC's mission and the plethora of aerospace advances they have made or contributed to (in fact, we are planning one!). However, in brief, the center's mission is to develop and transfer critical technologies that enable exploration of the universe and revolutionizes air travel.
To facilitate their wide-ranging mission, GRC has assembled a small but extremely capable fleet of specially modified and modular aircraft that can carry out a variety of missions across multiple environments. GRC operates several T-34C Turbo Mentors, a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter and, of course, the world’s only flying S-3 Viking. Until recently, the center also flew a number of Lear 20-series aircraft, but they have since been retired. GRC actually has two other Vikings aside from NASA 601. One, last of VS-41 “Shamrocks” is used for spare parts. The other was recently transferred from VX-30 “Bloodhounds” and sits in the corner of the NASA hangar, awaiting its ultimate fate. Interestingly, this particular aircraft, “Bloodhound 702,” made the very last flight by a Viking in US Navy service on January 11, 2016.