Overview
- Open-source tracking and FAA notices show the NT-43A, flying as NASA522, orbited a reserved support area near Kennedy Space Center as a NASA WB-57 loitered in a separate block.
- A photo taken over Melbourne, Florida, and ADS-B traces confirmed the jet’s identity after some trackers misclassified it as a C-130.
- Flight data indicates the aircraft launched from MacDill Air Force Base while the WB-57 operated from the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy.
- An Air Force spokesperson said this mission begins the NT-43A’s next phase, starting with Artemis II launch data collection and continuing support to high-end national programs.
- Officials have not detailed its specific task, though analysts note its large nose and tail radars and EO/IR sensors could collect telemetry or materials data during liftoff, a noteworthy shift for a 737-based radar testbed usually seen around Tonopah and Area 51.