X-15 aircraft on a Boeing B-52, with its North American Aviation designation visible. The X-15 was a rocket-powered research aircraft designed to inve
X-15 aircraft on a Boeing B-52, with its North American Aviation designation visible. The X-15 was a rocket-powered research aircraft designed to investigate flight at hypersonic speeds. Three X-15s flew a total of 199 missions between 1959 and 1968. The X-15 was carried into the air by a converted B-52 bomber and released at high altitude. The pilot then ignited the X-15's rocket motor. It was the first plane to reach the edge of outer space and set records for the fastest manned aircraft (7,274 kilometres per hour, or Mach ). Photographed on 16 February 1959.
Size: 3310px × 2648px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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