NASA has a fleet of just three of the high-flying WB-57F aircraft, which are used for a wide array of scientific and defense-related missions.

The two-person crew of a NASA plane is safe after the aircraft’s landing gear failed, leading to a fiery belly landing at a Houston airfield.

A NASA plane did a “gear-up landing” in Houston on Tuesday due to a “mechanical issue,” according to a NASA spokesperson. (Credit: Nevada Vazquez/@ IronHorseAviator via Storyful)

A NASA research plane made a belly landing at Houston's Ellington Airport on Tuesday morning after a mechanical issue, the space agency said. According to Bethany Stevens, NASA's press secretary, all crew members are safe after a WB-57 made a gear-up landing, meaning its landing gear was not fully deployed.

A NASA research plane landed on its belly at Ellington Airport in Houston after the landing gear failed, officials say.

Space Center Houston reschedules Artemis II Launch Watch Party to Feb. 8. Don’t miss this historic crewed mission beyond Earth orbit.

In a post to social media, a NASA spokesperson said a "mechanical issue with one of NASA's WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing." A video showed the landing, with fiery sparks visible.

According to a statement from Houston Airports, a NASA aircraft had an issue while landing at Ellington Airport around 11:30 a.m. Central.

A NASA research plane landed on its belly at Ellington Field in Houston after the landing gear failed, officials say.

New footage shows one of NASA's WB-57 research jets spewing out flames and smoke as it skids across a runway during an emergency landing near Houston. The veteran aircraft was due to play a small role in the Artemis II mission.