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Neil Armstrong With X-15 Rocketplane
Credit: NASA
Research pilot Neil Armstrong stands with an X-15 rocketplane at NASA's Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., in 1960.
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X-15 Rocket Plane in Flight
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
The X-15 rocket plane flew 199 times between 1959 and 1968.
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Former NASA X-15 Pilots Awarded Astronaut Wings
Credit: NASA/Dryden
The X-15 rocket-powered aircraft begins its climb after launch at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, California. Image
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X-15 Launches from Mothership
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
The X-15 #2 launches away from the B-52 mothership with its rocket engine ignited. The white patches near the middle of the ship are frost from the liquid oxygen used in the propulsion system, although very cold liquid nitrogen was also used to cool the payload bay, cockpit, windshields, and nose.
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X-15A-2 Soars in Research Flight
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
This photo shows the X-15A-2 (56-6671) on a research flight with a dummy ramjet engine attached to the bottom of its wedge-shaped vertical tail.
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X-15 Nears Touchdown with Starfighter
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
Followed by a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter chase plane, the North American X-15 ship #3 (56-6672) sinks toward touchdown on Rogers Dry Lake following a research flight.
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X-15 Gets Protective Coating
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
After receiving a full scale ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with high-Mach-number supersonic flight, the X-15A-2 (56-6671) rocket powered research aircraft was then covered with a white sealant coat and mounted with additional external fuel tanks.
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NASA’s Bill Dana Next to X-15
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
NASA research pilot Bill Dana is seen here next to the X-15 #3 rocket-powered aircraft after a flight.
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X-15A-2 Soars
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
X-15A-2 in flight. This was its first flight with dummy ramjet attached.
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Clowning Around
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
The X-15 pilots clown around in front of the #2 aircraft. From left to right: USAF Capt. Joseph Engle, USAF Maj. Robert Rushworth, NASA test pilot John "Jack" McKay, USAF Maj. William "Pete" Knight, NASA test pilot Milton Thompson, and NASA test pilot William Dana.
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X-15 Under the Wing of a B-52
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
This photo was taken from one of the observation windows in the B-52 shortly before dropping the X-15.
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Emergency Landing at Mud Lake
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
On Nov. 9 1962, an engine failure forced Jack McKay, a NASA research pilot, to make an emergency landing at Mud Lake, Nevada, in the second X-15. Its landing gear collapsed and the X-15 flipped over on its back. McKay was promptly rescued by an Air Force medical team standing by near the launch site, and eventually recovered to fly the X-15 again.
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Second X-15 Rocket Plane
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
The second X-15 rocket plane is shown with two external fuel tanks which were added during its conversion to the X-15A-2 configuration in the mid-1960's.
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X-15 Cockpit
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
This photo shows the X-15 cockpit. The X-15 was unique for many reasons, including the fact that it had two types of controls for the pilot.
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X-15 Lakebed Landing
Credit: NASA
The North American X-15 settles to the lakebed after a research flight from what is now the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
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North American X-15 Illustration
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
Three view illustration of the North American X-15.
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Neil Armstrong in X-15 Cockpit
Credit: NASA/U.S. Air Force
NASA pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here in the cockpit of the X-15 ship #1 after a research flight.
