- NASA operates a fleet of private Gulfstream jets that are most noticeably seen when astronauts fly to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- The transfer of astronauts is just one of the missions that the Gulfstream is tasked with, as the planes are also used to conduct scientific research around the world.
- Gulfstreams also doubled as space shuttles during pilot training when the program was still active.
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When not in space, NASA astronauts fly around the world in style.
As the leading manufacturer of private jets in the US, Gulfstream is very popular with the US government, the US Air Force, and almost all branches of the military not only have Gulfstreams in their fleet. Instead, NASA also sports luxury business jets, used for a wide range of missions that include flying astronauts to launch sites.
When NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley flew from Houston to Cape Canaveral, Florida, in preparation for their historic launch on SpaceX’s Demo 2 rocket, they did so on one of NASA’s Gulfstreams. But moving VIP between NASA facilities is just one of the important missions for private jets.
The space agency uses its fleet of aircraft, including the Gulfstreams, primarily for scientific research under NASA’s Airborne Science Program. Missions include inspecting polar ice in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as studying the impact of forest fires on the climate.
- Gulfstreams also doubled as space shuttles during pilot training when the program was still active.
Take a closer look at NASA’s Gulfstream fleet.
