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This collection consists of two items relating to the X-15 Flight Test Program: a 24-page booklet, X-15 Flight Record with Thiokol Liquid Rocket Engines, prepared by the Thiokol Chemical Corporation, Reaction Motors Division, from flight data compiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Third Printing, January 1964); and an event program for the X-15 Flight Test Program Awards Ceremony held at the NASA Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on February 24, 1964.
First flown in 1959, the North American X-15 hypersonic research aircraft bridged the gap between human flight in the atmosphere and spaceflight. Three airframes were built by North American Aviation, Inc. for the X-15 program (serial numbers 56-6670, 56-6671, and 56-6672) each using liquid rocket engines built by the Reaction Motors Division of the Thiokol Chemical Corporation. Based at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Flight Research Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, the X-15 was the first winged aircraft to fly Mach 4, 5, and 6 and to operate at altitudes above 30,500 m (100,000 ft). Eight of the twelve test pilots received astronaut wings for X-15 high-altitude flights.
NASM.1992.0020.0076
Reaction Motors, Inc.
1964
Unknown, found in collection, 1992, NASM.1992.0020.0076.
.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection consists of two items, a 7 x 5 inch booklet and an 8 x 5 inch event program. The 24-page booklet, X-15 Flight Record with Thiokol Liquid Rocket Engines, "prepared by the Thiokol Chemical Corporation, Reaction Motors Division, from flight data compiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration" (Third Printing, January 1964, publication number PL 1-64) is designed as a souvenir of the X-15 flight test program. The illustrated booklet contains a brief history of the X-15 program and the three X-15 vehicles built by North American Aviation, Inc. using Thiokol reusable liquid rocket engines; a list of X-15 test pilots; brief information about the Thiokol XLR11 and YLR99 engines; and a chronological list of flight record entries beginning with the first flight on June 8, 1959. Each flight record entry (designed to appear handwritten) lists the date, pilot, speed and altitude reached, and remarks. Flights 1 through 98 (January 8, 1964) are pre-printed, with blank spaces provided "to help you log future successes" (space is provided to record information on 148 flights total). The program is for the X-15 Flight Test Program Awards Ceremony held at the NASA Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on February 24, 1964. This event included the presentation of a NASA Group Achievement Award to the X-15 Flight Test Program team as well as the presentation of individual awards. Featured speakers included Hugh L. Dryden (Deputy Administrator, NASA), Paul F. Bikle (Director, NASA Flight Research Center), and Brigadier General Irving L. Branch (US Air Force, Commander, Air Force Flight Test Center).
Items are arranged in chronological order.
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North American X-15 Flight Record, Acc. NASM.1992.0020.0076, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Aeronautics
Propulsion systems
Research aircraft
Supersonic planes
North American X-15
Collection descriptions
Archival materials