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Space History Photo: Bell X-14A VTOL Demonstration

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space history, vertical take offs
Bell Z-14A VTOL demonstration. (Image credit: NASA)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, a demonstration of a vertical landing by the NASA Ames Research Center's Bell X-14A Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, Dec. 7, 1962. Vanes in the jet exhaust pipe are then turned to deflect the jet exhaust downward allowing the aircraft to descend vertically to a soft landing.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

NASA Archives
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

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