North American X-15 test plane. Historical image of the North American X-15 supersonic research aircraft with Air Force pilot William 'Pete' Knight (1
North American X-15 test plane. Historical image of the North American X-15 supersonic research aircraft with Air Force pilot William 'Pete' Knight (1929-2004). During its 199 test flights between 1959 and 1968, this plane set altitude and speed records that included breaking the Mach 4, 5 and 6 milestones. Knight and seven other pilots flew higher than 50 miles in the X-15 and earned astronaut wings. Lessons learned from the X-15 directly assisted in the development of the Space Shuttle program.
Size: 3748px × 2811px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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