Research pilot Neil Armstrong stands with an X-15 rocketplane at NASA's Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., in 1960.
The X-15 rocket plane flew 199 times between 1959 and 1968.
The X-15 rocket-powered aircraft begins its climb after launch at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, California. Image
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.
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.
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.
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.
NASA research pilot Bill Dana is seen here next to the X-15 #3 rocket-powered aircraft after a flight.
X-15A-2 in flight. This was its first flight with dummy ramjet attached.
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.
This photo was taken from one of the observation windows in the B-52 shortly before dropping the X-15.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Three view illustration of the North American X-15.
NASA pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here in the cockpit of the X-15 ship #1 after a research flight.
