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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).

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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.