Preparing for Equipment Checkout Flight #2
Pre-flight ECF #2 – The IceBridge DC-8 in pre-flight checks at NASA Dryden in California before an equipment checkout flight (ECF) over targets in the Mojave Desert. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger
The Mojave Desert is an arid rain-shadow desert and the driest desert in North America. Very small areas also extend into Utah and Arizona. Also its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of Joshua trees, which are native only to the Mojave Desert. Therefore are considered an indicator species, and it is believed to support an additional 1,750 to 2,000 species of plants. The central part of the desert is sparsely populated, while its peripheries support large communities such as Las Vegas, Barstow, Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville, and St. George.
