In the newly launched NASA Commons set on Flickr, the space agency has released a number of incredible images of iconic spacecraft and aircraft taking to the skies above the United States. Here is a selection of 15 fantastic photos from the collection that truly capture the pioneering spirit of NASA in its bid to conquer the final frontier.

The X-15 speeds away from its B-52 mothership with rocket engine ignited. The white patches near the middle of the craft are frost caused by liquid oxygen used in the propulsion system. Frigid liquid nitrogen was also used to cool the payload bay, cockpit, windshields, and nose. The X-15 was developed to provide in-flight data on aerodynamics, structures, flight controls, and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight.

The X-15 rocket plane speeds skyward after launch at the Dryden Flight Research Center, California (left). To the right, the inaugural blast-off of Lockheed Martin’s Athena II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral (January 6) sent NASA’s Lunar Prospector spacecraft to orbit the Moon. Lunar Prospector is a spin-stabilized spacecraft designed to provide NASA with the first global maps of the Moon’s surface and its gravitational magnetic fields, as well as look for the possible presence of ice near the lunar poles.

In this 1965 photograph, the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) is shown at near maximum altitude over the south base at Edwards Air Force Base. During Apollo planning in 1960, NASA studied concepts designed to simulate decent to the lunar surface: an electronic simulator, a tethered device, and this ambitious free-flying vehicle. All three became serious projects, but NASA Flight Research Center’s Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) won the day.

In these incredible images, research pilot Bill Dana watches NASA’s NB-52B cruise overhead after a research flight in the HL-10 (top). Below, the HL-10 Lifting Body powers away from the B-52 mothership. The HL-10 was one of five lifting body designs flown at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center from July 1966 to November 1975 to study the concept of safely maneuvering and landing a low lift-over-drag vehicle designed for reentry from space.

Discovery, you are go for launch! Above, the space shuttle Discovery is seen at various stages of lift-off: arching through a cloud-brushed sky (top), rocketing towards the International Space Station (left), and completing the first evening shuttle launch since 2002 (right), at 8:47pm on December 9, 2006.

Shock waves stream from the massive engine nozzles of NASA’s SR-71B as it leaves the runway on a 1992 flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. The twin-cockpit “B” model is one of three SR-71s initially loaned to NASA from the Air Force for use in a high-speed, high-altitude research program.

In this awesome image, the SR-71B Blackbird is silhouetted against the orange hues of the western sky on a 1995 flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center. The “B” model was the pilot trainer variant, hence the slightly odd-looking second cockpit jutting from the Blackbird’s upper fuselage.

In this 1950s photograph, a Douglas Skyrocket D-558-2 is launched from the underside of a Navy P2B-1S. Early flights of the D-558-2s used the aircraft’s jet engine and took off from a conventional runway, limiting its speed and altitude. The solution was to convert the D-558-2 to a rocket or combined jet-and-rocket propulsion system and airdrop it from the P2B-1S, which was a converted B-29 Superfortress.

The solar-electric Helios Prototype flying wing takes to the sky for its first test flight on solar power from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii, July 14, 2001. The 18-hour flight tested the aircraft’s systems and performance in preparation for an attempt to reach sustained flight at 100,000 feet. Helios was a modification of the earlier Centurion solar-powered flying wing demonstrator.

In this somewhat ironic photo, Space Shuttle Atlantis appears to be heading for the Moon. But on this occasion the ship is attached to the top of NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, not heading for space but rather home to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after previously re-entering the atmosphere to land at Edwards Air Force Base.

Last but not least, this awesome shot shows the X-24A igniting its XLR-11 rocket engine after being drop launched from its B-52 mothership. Seen here on the edge of space, high-altitude contrails stream from the X-24A’s wings against a piercingly dark blue sky. (All images released into public domain under NASA Commons.)

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Image by Kevin Cole

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In 2004 long time business owner Kevin Cole retired to the small fishing town of Morro Bay, California, to enjoy his childhood passion for photography.  Since going digital, Kevin has used professional Canon equipment to create a dazzling collection of images, covering everything from wildlife and the great outdoors to people, structures and everyday events.  These beautifully rendered pictures are just a tiny taster of Kevin’s work.

Image by Kevin Cole

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Little more than two concrete walls rising out of the dirt, the structure above was a gas station and restaurant at Cadiz Summit.  Tourist cabins once stood alongside for drivers travelling along Route 66.  These have long gone now, and the walls have become a blank canvas for graffiti artists.  John Flannagan’s grandfather, James, used to own the place, and John is busy compiling nostalgic reference for anyone who may have experienced Cadiz Summit.  (Top image shows the old gas station in the living ghost town of Chloride, Arizona’s oldest mining town.)

Image by Kevin Cole

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Kevin has photographed numerous historic buildings across California and beyond.  The Santa Barbara County Courthouse was completed in 1929 and is still in use today. The image above shows the Mural Room on the second floor of the historic courthouse.  HDR processing adds an extra sparkle.

Image by Kevin Cole

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The historic La Posada de Albuquerque Hotel (above & below) has been transformed into the pre-eminent boutique hotel after a $30 million renovation and is now named Hotel Andaluz.  While the building more than speaks for itself, Kevin’s processing once again enhances the forms and draws out the various colours in all their vividness.

Image by Kevin Cole

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Kevin welcomes positive feedback as well as constructive criticism, and aims to create a vibrant network of Flickr contacts who enjoy his pictures and vice versa.  His advise to fellow photographers is: “Don’t forget to take that picture of what you don’t see.”

Image by Kevin Cole

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Kevin captured this brightly lit Art Deco building in his home town of Morro Bay.  It almost has the look of an old cinema/movie theatre, but is probably a good old fashioned diner.  Love Art Deco?  You’ll find more in our Visual Exploration of Long Lost Cinemas.

Image by Kevin Cole

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This picture of the old 41 Cafe illustrates perfectly how a rundown and seemingly uninspired building can be brought to life through the wonders of digital photography.  Click here and scroll down to see a picture of Kevin setting up this shot.  A white pickup truck in the background has been edited out to give the abandoned cafe a more solitary feel.

Image by Kevin Cole

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The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco is a monumental – literally – structure that cannot fail to impress and entrall.  Built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific Exposition (the first World’s Fair), the grand structure is currently undergoing restoration work.  This photo, dominated by the massive rotunda, was captured at sunrise.  Don’t miss our full article about the Palace of Fine Arts.

Image by Kevin Cole

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There’s something oddly romantic about neglected boats lying near the sea.  Perhaps it’s because they spur the imagination (in some of us, at least) into dreaming of travel on the high seas, or maybe it’s nothing more than the idea that they’re no longer needed in the modern age.  Wherever this particular location is, it bears a striking resemblance to the old boat yard at Low Newton by the Sea, when looking toward the beach… To see more of Kevin Cole’s work, visit his Flickr set and check out his personal website.

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Image by R Pigott

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The North of England is a wild and windswept region, tempered by the relative civility of Roman occupation and forged thereafter by centuries of bloodshed.  From Viking raiders to the Norman Conquest and the Border Wars to the Victorians, history and folklore is deeply ingrained within the fabric of this rugged region.

Peak District, Derbyshire

Images by R Pigott

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The upland area known as the Peak District lies mainly in northern Derbyshire and is comprised of two parts: The Dark Peak – wild gritstone moorland and peaks supporting little more than heather; and the White Peak – limestone valleys and rolling hills where most inhabitants live in the Peak District’s picturesque villages and market towns.

Images by Magic Foundry

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Its location between Manchester and Sheffield makes access easy, contributing to its popularity.  An estimated 22 million visitors each year make the Peak District the second most visited national park in the world, after Mount Fuji, Japan.  Chatsworth House, home of the Duke and Duchess and setting for Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, is just one of hundreds of tourist attractions in the region.  One of the few blights on the landscape is the Castleton cement works (above, right), with quarrying and cement a major component of the local economy.

Image by Alun Salt

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In addition to castles, quaint villages and grand stately homes, the remains of ancient man punctuate the landscape.  Numerous stone circles like Nine Stones on Harthill Moor (above) stand amid heather on the more wild expanses of the landscape, reminding us of the Peak District’s Bronze Age heritage, and making medieval fortresses seem almost modern by comparison.

Lake District, Cumbria

Mendhak

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Cumbria’s rugged Lake District is an ancient landscape, teeming with tourists and popularised by the romantic poets of the 19th century.  This is a mysterious place where, cliched as it may sound, Wordsworth’s voice can almost be heard on the wind that swirls around the fells.  Despite the outstanding beauty of “The Lakes”, the abandoned slate mine at Coniston (above) reflects an industry that was once vital to the local economy.

Image by Theregsy

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As the name suggests, the eponymous Lake District boasts numerous lakes which are the longest and deepest in England.  Similarly, most of England’s mountains are found here (including all land higher than 3,000 feet), such as Scafell Pike, the country’s highest peak.  The picture above shows the west end of Ennerdale Water, with Anglers Crag on the right and Bowness Knott on the Left.

Images by alancleaver_2000

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Above, dark clouds brood over Great Gable, while boats on Derwent Water reflect the Autumn glow.  Historic steam trains are one of the main attractions on the Settle-Carlisle Railway, while the legacy of the ancient Britons lives on in numerous standing stones, such as Kinniside stone circle.

Image by Caza_No_7

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The landscape above could almost depict the kingdom of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings, and captures dramatically everything that is moody and mysterious about Britain’s north country.  The mountains may not be as high as the Alps or the Rockies, but the wild crags and fells, tempered by man’s attempts to make his home amid the arduous terrain over thousands of years, make the Lake District – Britain’s largest national park – an ideal destination for overseas tourists as well as Brits who want to get away from it all at the weekend.

Images by Caza_No_7

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The high fells and lake-filled valleys afford spectacular views across the county, while converted 16th century barns and farm houses provide the perfect base for those who want to get out in all kinds of weather.  From these vantage points, it’s easy to understand how superstition and myth gathered pace throughout antiquity and still cling to life, just about, in the digital era in which we now live.  Cable TV and the internet may have reached Cumbria, but the ghosts, fairies and will-’o-the-wisps haven’t yet melted away into the mountain air.

Yorkshire

Image by Foto43

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Yorkshire is England’s largest and in many ways most diverse county.  From industrial South Yorkshire to the West Yorkshire Dales and the stunning North Yorkshire Moors, here is a county that was home to Celtic Brigantes tribes before witnessing Roman occupation.  It went forth to lose the Wars of the Roses, launch world-famous explorer Captain James Cook to far-away lands, and invent Sheffield Plate (silver-plated copper) and stainless steel.  To top it off, the very locally celebrated Yorkshire Day falls on August 1st.

Image by dbtelford

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Surrounding the industrial cities of Leeds and Sheffield, and the tourist city of York (once the capital of the North), is breathtaking scenery which reaches its zenith in two national parks – the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors.  Wharfedale in West Yorkshire (above) is an example of a genteel river valley, while stately homes like Cusworth Hall stand on grand, centuries-old estates all over the county.

Images by Phil W Shirley

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The stunning ruins of Whitby Abbey stand on a stormy headland above the North Sea.  The Benedictine priory was founded in 657 AD and reflects the early Christian influence along the Yorkshire coast.  Like so many of its contemporaries, Whitby Abbey was abandoned after a Viking raid in 867 AD.  Almost 800 years later, not far from Whitby, a farm labourer’s son called James Cook would apprentice with a local grocer, and thereafter discover the sea legs that would later help him discover much of the known world.  

Images by Foto43

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An original apothecary shop in Haworth may have been visited by Emily and Charlotte Bronte (author of Jane Eyre), who lived in the town – their father was vicar of the parish church, shown above.  A local war memorial stands in the town of Conisborough, in front of of the 11th century fortress Conisborough Castle, one of the best preserved motte and bailey castles in Europe.  The Old Red Lion is one of Leeds’ last remaining inns, having survived much inner city redevelopment.  Less fortunate were the Tinsley cooling towers (demolished 2008), a local landmark in Sheffield, not least due to their appearance in the popular film, The Full Monty.

Images by Paul Stevenson

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The Yorkshire landscape is also diverse, from rolling pastures to the rugged Malham Tarn (above), where cattle roam and sheep graze the upland moors, and counting on the weather to behave itself is likely to scupper most forays into the great outdoors.

Northumberland

Images by alancleaver_2000

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As far as landscapes go, Northumberland is as diverse as the northern counties mentioned above, while also enjoying the tag – England’s best kept secret.  With a beautiful coastline to the east giving way to fields of ripening corn and rolling green river valleys, the landscape rises as it heads north to meet Scotland, culminating in the wild and mysterious border region.  The photos above show one of Northumberland’s most enduring scenes – Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island, where Christianity first flourished in the UK.

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The mighty fortress of Bamburgh Castle, built around the time of the Norman invasion of 1066, is a magnificent sight overlooking the chilly North Sea.  Located on a commanding and somewhat intimidating basalt outcrop, castles surely don’t come any more impressive than this.

Images by Wilka

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But for all the elegant stately homes, castles, quaint villages and market towns – which are all a beloved part of the fabric of the region – the most enduring images of the north country are most often the angry skies, rolling moorland and ruined medieval buildings.  The storm rolling in over the Northumberland border country, with its hundreds of abandoned, centuries-old farm houses and barns, paints the ultimate picture of England’s rural north.

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Image by Sheperd Paine

Scale models and wartime dioramas present a unique and visually arresting image of history.  Stories retold range from epic battles to heroic events, while modellers take great care to accurately recreate even the most brief moment in our history.  Here we take a look at the work of a master – military historian and artist Sheperd Paine.

Images by Sheperd Paine

Born in Berlin and raised in New England, Shep – as he is known – served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army before heading to the University of Chicago.  He has since specialised in military history, working as a freelance artist, sculptor and writer.  The pictures above offer a brief glimpse of his impressive portfolio, which includes a scratchbuilt recreation of the death of Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Images by Sheperd Paine

Shep’s keen knowledge of his subject and attention to detail – both in terms of historical accuracy and masterful recreation of the scene – have made him one of the best known military miniaturists in the world.  His work eagerly sought by presigious collectors such as Malcolm Forbes and Andrew Wyeth, Shep has elevated model making from a train-and-plane hobby to a three dimensional depiction of history.

Images by Sheperd Paine

The secret to Shep’s success is down to a deep understanding ofthe conflicts he seeks to recreate, from the Napoleanic era to World War Two.  There are numerous great modellers in the fields of armour, aircraft, ships, military figures and scratchbuilt scenes.  But Shep has excelled in all of them, making him a rare commodity within the world of scale models.

Napoleon at the tomb of Frederick the Great (image by Sheperd Paine)

Along the way, he has become an inspiration to thousands, while turning plastic kits and everyday items into masterful dioramas steeped in historical legitimacy for museums and prestigious private collections.

Images by Sheperd Paine

Shep’s most notable work includes a three dimensional representation of Rembrandt’s Night Watch, as well as Hamlet and the ghost of his father.  Click here to discover more, including Shep’s new book, which is available now.  If you enjoyed this article, be sure to also check out Promodeller, a fantastic resource featuring mainly scale aircraft, with a great members’ area and how-to videos from one of Britain’s top model makers.

All pictures above are the property of Sheperd Paine, published with permission.

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Image by James Humphreys

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This mighty delta forms the unmistakable outline of the iconic Vulcan bomber, Britain’s Cold War nuclear deterrent.  The Vulcan in the picture, XH558, is the last flying example of the type, kept alive by a dedicated team of enthusiasts and the unconditional support of her fans.  But not all Vulcans have been so lucky…

Image by Fergal Goodman

Image by Fergal Goodman

Here lies the forlorn remains of Vulcan XL392, used for fire fighting practice at RAF Valley, Anglesey.  The awesome size and might of the Vulcan that defended the country and thrilled airshow crowds also made it an ideal candidate for fire training.  While many aircraft would be destroyed quite swiftly, Vulcans survived the heat for years.  The top picture shows XL392 relatively intact in 1983.  Two years later and it’s a rather different story, although this Vulcan managed almost another decade before its charred remains were scrapped.

Images by Supermac 1961

XH558 was retired from RAF service in 1984 but continued flying as a display aircraft until 1992, when the government pulled the plug on funding.  Unlikely to ever fly again, more than a decade later a mammoth restoration effort began to restore the Vulcan to flying condition.  The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, the charity that owns XH558, raised over £6 million to overhaul the aircraft and secure a license to fly – seemingly achieving the impossible!  In 2007, the mighty Vulcan flew for the first time in 15 years, testament to the incredible work of the Trust and the generous support of fans across the world.  And thanks to a mystery donation the Vulcan has just been saved from likely permanent grounding, but funding is still a grave concern.  The Vulcan celebrates its 50th birthday this year.  Click here to support the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

Here is the moment so many people waited years for – XH558 returns to flight in 2007 after her long hiatus.  The hollow howl of the four olympus engines was music to the ears of many:

And finally, XH558 arriving at RAF Waddington – the base where she spent most of her service career – for the first time since 1992; a proud and poignant moment for all involved – and a big round of applause to prove it:

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