NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight. The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It was a missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. Armstrong later commanded the Apollo 11 mission, and was the first person to step foot on the moon.

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Photo credit: © Science History Images / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: #1, -15, airplane, armstrong, astronaut, aviation, aviator, bw, center, flight, history, jet, jetplane, man, nasa, neil, person, pilot, research, science, test