X-15 aircraft pilot suiting up, 1960s. Footage of an X-15 pilot being helped into his pressure suit at Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA. The X-15 was a rocket-powered research aircraft designed to fly at hypersonic speeds. The single pilot wore a nitrogen pressure suit and breathed a separate oxygen supply. Manufactured by North American Aviation, the X-15 was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Twelve pilots flew three X-15s on a total of 199 missions between 1959 and 1968. The X-15 was carried into the air by one of two converted B-52 bombers and released at high altitude. The pilot then ignited the X-15's rocket motor for a flight lasting around 10 minutes. It was the first plane to reach the edge of outer space (the highest altitude attained was 107 kilometres), and set records for the fastest manned aircraft (7, 274 kilometres per hour, or Mach 6.72). Landings after successful flights took place at nearby Rogers Dry Lake. |