|Photo of X-15 aircraftX - 15Hypersonic Research at the Edge of Space

      This joint program by NASA, the Air Force, the

Navy, and North American operated the most

remarkable of all the rocket research aircraft.

Composed of an internal structure of titanium and

a skin surface of a chrome-nickel alloy known as

Inconel X, the X-15 had its first, unpowered glide flight on

June 8, 1959, while the first powered flight took place

on September 17, 1959.

Because of the large fuel consumption of its rocket engine, 

the X-15 was air launched from a B-52 aircraft at about 45,000 ft

and speeds upward of 500 mph.

The airplane first set speed records in the

Mach 4-6 range with Mach 4.43 on March 7, 1961;

Mach 5.27 on June 23, 1961; Mach 6.04 on November

9, 1961; and Mach 6.7 on October 3, 1967. It 

also set an altitude record of 354,200 feet

(67 miles) on August 22, 1963, and provided an

enormous wealth of data on hypersonic air flow,

aerodynamic heating, control and stability at

hypersonic speeds, reaction controls for flight

above the atmosphere, piloting techniques for

reentry, human factors, and flight instrumentation.

The highly successful program contributed to the development 

of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo piloted spaceflight programs as

well as the Space Shuttle program. The program's final flight was performed

on October 24, 1968. | Photo of X-15 aircraft                       | X - 15 | NASA logoChronologyBiographies

	  - Pilots

          - OthersOnlinePublicationsNASA linksOther linksBibliography |  | Chronology |  | Biographies

	  - Pilots

          - Others |  | OnlinePublications |  | NASA links |  | Other links |  | Bibliography
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	  - Pilots

          - Others
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| |  | Updated February 24, 2000

        

        Steve Garber, NASA History Web Curator

        Hans-Peter Engel, Author and Web Designer

        For further information E-mail  

        histinfo@hq.nasa.gov |  | 
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