ing ▁forces ▁the ▁once ▁comfort ing ▁san ctu ary ▁of ▁night . ▁ ▁The ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁also ▁witness ed ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁giant ▁flying ▁wing ▁to ▁so ar ▁over ▁the ▁base ▁in ▁nearly ▁ 4 0 ▁years . ▁The ▁thin ▁sil hou ette , ▁comp ound ▁curves ▁and ▁other ▁low - ob servable ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁B - 2 ▁Spirit ▁bom ber ▁represented ▁third - gener ation ▁ste alth ▁technology , ▁following ▁the ▁SR - 7 1 ▁and ▁F - 1 1 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁also ▁saw ▁Edwards ▁host ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁of ▁America ' s ▁space ▁war fare ▁capabilities ▁when ▁a ▁highly ▁modified ▁F - 1 5 ▁E agle ▁launched ▁an ▁AS M - 1 3 5 ▁anti - s at ellite ▁miss ile ▁at ▁the ▁dead ▁P 7 8 - 1 ▁( or ▁Sol wind ) ▁satellite ▁and ▁destroyed ▁it . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁Dick ▁R ut an ▁and ▁Je ana ▁Ye ager ▁launched ▁from ▁Edwards ▁to ▁set ▁a ▁new ▁av iation ▁record ▁by ▁pil oting ▁the ▁first ▁non - stop , ▁around - the - world ▁flight ▁on ▁a ▁single ▁tank ▁of ▁fuel ▁in ▁the ▁R ut an ▁Vo y ager . ▁ ▁Gr ound ▁research ▁ ▁Ext ensive ▁av iation ▁research ▁was ▁also ▁conducted ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁at ▁Edwards . ▁Two ▁ro cket ▁s led ▁tracks ▁pione ered ▁important ▁develop ments ▁and ▁research ▁for ▁the ▁Air ▁Force . ▁The ▁first ▁