Such a captivating image of Atomic age wonder, hard to imagine it was real, and that it hails from September 15, 1966.
NASA research pilot William Harvey “Bill” Dana takes a moment to watch NASA’s converted NB-52B Stratofortress mothership (52-0008, Balls Eight) cruise overhead after a research flight in the Northrop HL-10 heavy lifting body. “HL” stands for horizontal landing, and “10” refers to the tenth design studied by engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. On the left, John Reeves can be seen at the cockpit of the lifting body. NASA Photo.
More on the HL-10 here, more on Balls Eight here, and, since you came this far, a word about test pilot Major Steven Austin.