A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on June 15 shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. All eight crew members on board are presumed dead, according to a statement from the base. The eight-engine aircraft, designed to carry both nuclear and conventional weapons, was conducting a routine test mission when it went down. The B-52 Stratofortress has served as the backbone of the U.S. strategic bomber fleet for decades, according to the