Overview
- The NT-43A, known as RAT55, flew with the callsign NASA522 in airspace reserved near Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B, operating alongside a NASA WB-57 that loitered in a separate NOTAM-defined area.
- Flight tracks and a photo identified the aircraft as the modified 737-200, which launched from MacDill Air Force Base, held an oval orbit over the reserved zone, appeared miscoded as a C-130 on trackers, and then returned to MacDill.
- An Air Force spokesperson said the NT-43A is entering the next phase of its career and will begin that work by collecting data during the Artemis II launch.
- Officials did not detail the aircraft’s tasks, but its large nose and tail radars, multiple electro‑optical and infrared sensors, and a removable dorsal turret observed in new photos make it suited to gather telemetry and optical tracking data for engineers and flight controllers.
- The move marks a rare public role for a jet usually tied to stealth signature measurements around Tonopah and Area 51, recalling earlier Air Force range-support aircraft like the EC-135 ARIA that helped fill tracking and communications gaps during Apollo-era missions.