An important part of data collection for the United States space program, the North American X-15 had astonishing performance utilizing the technology of the 1950s and 60s. The North American X-15 was ...

On July 17, 1962, the American test pilot Bob White broke the world record for the highest altitude flight. He took off from Edwards Air Force Base in a rocket-powered X-15 aircraft and made it to an ...

Summary and Key Points: Before NASA led U.S. space exploration, there was debate over whether the U.S. Air Force or the newly formed NASA should shuttle astronauts to space and in what type of craft. ...

On Aug. 22, 1963, U.S. Air Force Captain Joe Walker flew an X-15 space plane higher than any pilot had ever flown before. Walker reached an altitude of over 67 miles (108 kilometers). That's about 5 ...

Key Points and Summary - In 1967, USAF Major "Pete" Knight set a world speed record that remains "unbroken" 68 years later. -Flying the X-15A-2 rocket plane (Flight 188), Knight reached an astonishing ...

The X-15 was a key bridge between conventional atmospheric flight and spaceflight. The North American X-15 is one of the most groundbreaking aircraft ever created in the history of aviation and space ...