The North American XB-70 Valkyrie is rolled out at Palmdale, Calif. Designed to fly at three times the speed of sound and at altitudes above 70,000 feet, the XB-70 is originally planned as a manned bomber, but funding limitations allow for only two aircraft, to be used strictly for testing and research.
The Senate voted Nov. 10 to approve a stopgap funding bill that would reopen the federal government and keep it funded through January, a significant step toward ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
