On Aug. 22, 1963, U.S. Air Force Captain Joe Walker flew an X-15 space plane higher than any pilot had ever flown before. Walker reached an altitude of over 67 miles (108 kilometers). That's about 5 ...

Discover the story of the North American X-15's first powered flight on September 17, 1959, when Scott Crossfield piloted the ...

Summary and Key Points: Before NASA led U.S. space exploration, there was debate over whether the U.S. Air Force or the newly formed NASA should shuttle astronauts to space and in what type of craft. ...

The X-15 was a key bridge between conventional atmospheric flight and spaceflight. The North American X-15 is one of the most groundbreaking aircraft ever created in the history of aviation and space ...