Intro music.
NASA retired its esteemed B-52B heavy-lift aircraft after nearly half a century of consistent service.
The B-52B's initial mission carried aloft the first X-15 hypersonic rocket planes for testing.
During the B-52B's lifetime, it has supported virtually all of NASA's aeronautical research needing an air launch vehicle.
The aircraft's final mission launched the last X-43A scramjet in November 2004.
The hypersonic research vehicle set a record-breaking speed of nearly Mach 10.
The "mothership" holds the distinction of being NASA's oldest aircraft and the oldest B-52 still flyable.
A formal ceremony in December officially retired the aircraft and marks the end of an era in aerospace history.