Feb 28, 2014 · In the joint X-15 hypersonic research program that NASA conducted with the U.S. Air Force, the Navy, and North American Aviation Inc., the aircraft flew during a period of nearly 10 years and set the world’s unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 feet in a program to investigate all aspects of piloted ...

The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft which was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft.

The X-15 and other X-planes are more than a historical legacy for NASA. The program is the core of NASA’s New Aviation Horizons, an array of new experimental aircraft that will carry on the legacy of demonstrating advanced technologies to push back the frontiers of aviation.

Jul 26, 2023 · The X-15 flight simulator, located at the NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, in the 1960s. The X-15-3 (56-6672), seen here on the lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, Edwards, CA, was a rocket-powered aircraft 50...

Robert White, Bill Dana, Neil Armstrong and Joe Engle were on hand when astronaut wings were presented to the three NASA pilots who flew the X-15 into space. EC68-1982 June 27, 1965

Oct 22, 2010 · The X-15 was created to explore hypersonic (generally defined as five times the speed of sound) aerodynamic performance, research structural behavior during high temperatures and pressure, study stability and control during exit from and reentry of the atmosphere, and examine pilot performance and physiology.

The flights of the North American X-15, an experimental American spaceplane built by North American Aviation and operated by the United States Air Force and NASA, were conducted from 1959 to 1968. Twelve pilots flew three X-15 spaceplanes, flying record high-altitude flights, high-speed flights, and sub-orbital spaceflights .

Jan 1, 2007 · X-15: Extending the Frontiers of Flight A history of the design and achievements of the high-speed, 1950s-era X-15 airplane is presented. The following chapters are included: A New Science; A Hypersonic Research Airplane; Conflict and Innovation; The Million-Horsepower Engine; High Range and Dry Lakes; Preparations; The Flight Program; and the ...

The November 15, 1967, loss of X-15 Flight 3-65-97 (hereafter referred to as Flight 3-65) was a unique incident in that it was the first and only aerospace flight accident involving loss of crew on a vehicle with an adaptive flight control system (AFCS).

Feb 2, 2025 · Design of X-15 along with modifications-X-15A-2 Photo: NASA. The X-15 program primarily used single type of aircraft: the North American X-15 and the X-15A-2, a modified version of the second X-15 aircraft, was delivered to NASA in February 1964.