From Runway to Re-entry: NASA WB-57 Connects March ARB to Artemis II Mission
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. —March Air Reserve Base played a role in one of NASA’s most visible human spaceflight missions April 10, 2026, as NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft operated from the installation in support of Artemis II re-entry activities. The aircraft provided live imaging and tracking capabilities as the capsule descended through Earth’s atmosphere, broadcasting footage viewed worldwide.
The mission brought one of NASA’s rarest operational aircraft to March ARB while connecting the installation to the agency’s continued efforts to return astronauts deeper into space. Assigned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center Airborne Science Program, WB-57 aircraft N926NA is one of only three WB-57 aircraft still flying worldwide.
The aircraft’s nose-mounted camera system captured much of the live imagery broadcast during Artemis II re-entry. Designed for high-altitude flight exceeding 55,000 feet, the WB-57 provides NASA airborne imaging capabilities during critical phases of human spaceflight missions.
“We love coming to March,” said NASA research pilot Thomas “Duster” Parent. “They have the ground support, equipment and everything we need.”
Parent, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, is one of a limited number of pilots qualified to operate the WB-57 for NASA’s Airborne Science Program.
Originally developed from the Martin B-57 Canberra bomber, the WB-57 has since been transformed into a specialized airborne science platform supporting atmospheric research, environmental monitoring and launch tracking missions across NASA programs.
For personnel assigned to March ARB, the aircraft’s arrival served as a reminder that the installation’s mission extends far beyond the flightline- reaching into some of the nation’s most significant spaceflight operations.
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