The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft which was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft.

Feb 28, 2014 · The X-15 was a follow-on research aircraft to the early X-planes, which had explored the flight regime from just below the speed of sound (Mach 1) to Mach 3.2. In 1952 the NACA had begun preliminary research into space flight and associated problems.

First flown in 1959, the North American X-15 bridged the gap between human flight in the atmosphere and spaceflight. It was the first winged aircraft to fly Mach 4, 5, & 6 and to operate at altitudes above 30,500 m (100,000 ft). Eight of 12 pilots received astronaut wings.

The X-15 was an important tool for developing spaceflight in the 1960s, and pilots flying above 50 miles altitude in the X-15 earned astronaut wings. Three X-15s were built, and they made 199 flights between 1959-1968.

Feb 2, 2025 · The X-15 program primarily used single type of aircraft: the North American X-15 and the X-15A-2, a modified version of the second X-15 aircraft, was delivered to NASA in February 1964. As reported by NASA the X-15A-2 was modified with external fuel tanks and a 28-inch fuselage extension for liquid hydrogen.

Aug 2, 2022 · North American (NA) was given the contract for the North American X-15 airframe in 1955, whilst Reaction Motors was to build the engines and only four years later, in June 1959 the first flight was made. Unlike traditional aircraft design, the X-15 was never intended to take off under its own steam.

The X-15 and other X-planes are more than a historical legacy for NASA. The program is the core of NASA’s New Aviation Horizons, an array of new experimental aircraft that will carry on the legacy of demonstrating advanced technologies to push back the frontiers of aviation.

Composed of an internal structure of titanium and a skin surface of a chrome-nickel alloy known as Inconel X, the X-15 had its first, unpowered glide flight on June 8, 1959, while the first powered flight took place on September 17, 1959.

Oct 3, 2023 · North American Aviation, Inc., selected to develop three X-15 research airplanes. X-15 mock-up completed. Design configuration set. Construction starts. Factory rollout of No. 1 airplane. First glide flight, No. 1 airplane. First powered flight, No. 2 airplane. First NASA flight in an X-15 aircraft. Pilot is Joe Walker.

The North American X-15, a rocket-powered research aircraft, bridged the gap between manned flight in the atmosphere and space flight. After its initial test flights in 1959, the X-15 became the first winged aircraft to attain hypersonic velocities of Mach 4, 5, and 6 (four to six times the speed of sound) and to operate at altitudes well above ...