The X-15 can be rightfully described at the world’s first reusable spacecraft.
This weekend’s aviation time-waster is a half hour long documentary featuring a brief overview of the design, development and flight test program of this amazing research airplane.
In the documentary you’ll see a few familiar name Joe Walker, and Scott Crossfield (he’s also a fellow member of Delta Tau Delta men’s fraternity…woot).
NASA has a very interesting website commemorating the 30th anniversary of the X-15′s first flight. Here you’ll find valuable primary source documents that specifically detail the program.
Earlier in the year visited the National Museum of the USAF. You can see one the X-15s there on display at the Museum’s R&D Hangar at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Here are some photos I took the of the X-15:
THIS is not a “waste of time,” it’s time very well spent! And, BTW, you’re not the only Delt here, Brother. (Delta Rho Chapter [long since disbanded])
Awesome. Iota Delta Quincy University
Thanks do much for the post – X-15 fan from WAY back here!
I will have to see the rest tomorrow – up at 05:00 tomorrow for work – but in looking at an actual X15 I am astounded at its size – seemed small to me. And at 400,000 feet – isn’t that a nether-land with no atmosphere for a plane but you aren’t out of the gravitational pull?
You have to wonder where we would be in the space program today if NASA hadn’t put all their eggs in the Space Shuttle – a program far more expensive to run than was promised – and invested more in this – and the Dtna-Soar http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2006/01/the-story-of-the-dyna-soar/
i was reading about the design of the SR-71 – and not surprisingly metallurgy was one of the biggest challenges – keeping the thing together at high heat.
I’m wondering how much technology from the X-15 was transferable.
Scott Crossfield. Every “Eagle” reader’s hero.