In July 2021, NASA retired the last operational S-3B Viking.  It’s home is now the San Diego Air & Space Museum-El Cajon Gillespie Field Annex.  This ended 20 years of NASA service for an aircraft that had already completed a career with the U.S. Navy.

In January 2009, the U.S. Navy officially retired (from ‘fleet service’ aboard aircraft carriers, with final USN retirement in 2016) its Lockheed S-3B Viking aircraft.  In 2001, one lucky Viking got a new life with the National Aeronautics Space Administration.

Even before the USN began retiring their Vikings NASA was already prepping to use it, in 2006 awarding Boeing a contract to rebuild the Viking. 

NASA Airborne Science Program’s N601NA Viking before getting its new NASA clothing, still wearing its worn-out U.S. Navy uniform.

This NASA image, of Viking N601NA with its new NASA uniform, is from 2007.

NASA began using the Viking, to supplement their other aircraft, to fly aircraft SatCom (satellite communication) relay viability missions over Illinois.

N601NA stopping in Grand Junction, Colorado, for fuel.  N601NA was taking part in icing research.

A 1/3 scale model section of S-3B Viking wing inside NASA’s icing tunnel.

In 2010, NASA’s Viking began airborne environmental science missions (like the growing problem of algae blooms in The Great Lakes) and aeronautics research.

Final approach to the runway at Air Force Plant 42, NASA Dryden’s Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, California, October 2010.  The large cargo pod has been modified by NASA to carry electronic sensing devices for various missions.

S-3B Viking taking off from Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Illinois.

In the hanger at Glenn Research Center.

In 2014, USN’s VX-30 hosted N601NA, as the NASA crew visited the Bloodhounds for simulator training.

The last flight of two U.S. Navy Air Test & Evaluation Squadron 30 (VX-30 Bloodhounds) S-3B Vikings over Point Mugu, California, 18DEC2015. 

  According to the information that came with these U.S. Navy photos, in January 2016 one of these Air Test & Evaluation Squadron 30’s Vikings was sent to be mummified in ‘the boneyard’, while the other got a new life working for NASA.  However, I can’t find anything from NASA confirming they took possession of another Viking.  I’ve even seen some blogs that claim NASA has three Vikings which, again, I haven’t found anything from NASA backing that up.  Current NASA information indicates there was only one Viking in their possession, N601NA, operating out of Glenn Research Center in Ohio.

 

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