A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff in California late Monday morning, June 15, military officials said.The aircraft crashed taking off from the Edwards Air Force Base airfield in Kern County at 11:20 a.m. PT, the base reported.It was not immediately known what caused the crash or whether any injuries were reported."Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing," the base posted on X.The base is about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.In a statement on X, Rep. Vince Fong, R-California, asked the nation to pray for the crew and "the entire Edwards community."His post included a photo of a large plume of black smoke erupting from a field.What is a B-52 Stratofortress?According to information from the Air Force Global Strike Command, the B-52 Stratofortress is a long-haul heavy bomber that can reach subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet."It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability," an online military fact sheet reads.The history of Edwards Air Force BaseMany of mankind's historic achievements in aviation have taken place over a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert known as Edwards Air Force Base, and continue to this day.Edwards Air Force Base was established in 1942 at what was then known as the Muroc Dry Lake and has since steadily grown to more than 300,000 acres in size, or 470 square miles, retired Air Force Lt. Col. and 412th Test Wing spokesman Mike Paoli said.The base functions as a town with more than 11,000 residents, consisting of roughly 20% military personnel and 80% civilians, he said.This is a developing story.Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.