NASA Dryden operated a fleet of F-104 Starfighters between 1956 and 1994 as chase aircraft, for pilot training and proficiency, to practice X-15 approaches and landings, and to carry flight-test fixtures mounted on the fuselage centerline. Items to be tested were installed on the fixture, instrumented, and flown to gather data. This F-104G was used to test space shuttle thermal protection tiles by flying through simulated rain to study how moisture would affect them and by carrying the tiles in a position similar to that on the orbiter to determine whether the bonding used to secure them was sufficient. The aircraft was delivered to the German Luftwaffe in 1964, acquired by NASA in 1975, and retired in 1994.