Caption:
The NASA X-38 Crew Return Vehicle was a prototype for a wingless lifting body reentry vehicle that was to be used as a Crew Return Vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS). The X-38 was developed to the point of a drop test vehicle before its development was cancelled in 2002 due to budget cuts. This X-38 was carried by a B-52 bomber on July 30th, 1997, as part of its first airborne test.