X-15: Related Stories and Resources
One of the benefits of online publishing is the opportunity to continue to tell the story as it evolves and changes over time. Although I’m inclined to leave the original X-15 story as originally written (other than to correct factual errors) this X-15: Related Stories and Resources page is where you can find additional material related to the main story. These items are generally presented in reverse chronological order, the most recent item at the top.
Launch Demo 2 YouTube, January 17, 2021 by Virgin Orbit. Viewing this video can’t help but evoke powerful memories of the stunning visuals from the X-15 flights from over 50 years ago. The Virgin Orbit program is both impressive and inspiring.
NASA History Office Twitter, August 22, 2019. “This is the NASA History Office’s official Twitter account. We’re happy that you share our passion for aerospace history.” We can’t believe we somehow missed these folks up until this point. That was until they recent featured the flight of Joe Walker’s record altitude flight to 354,300 which occurred on this day in 1963. It was to be the last of Walker’s 25 flights in the X-15. You can be sure we’re following them now!
Stratolaunch First Flight YouTube, April 13, 2019 by Stratolaunch. From the video: “In partnership with Scaled Composites, Stratolaunch successfully completed the first flight of the Stratolaunch aircraft. As part of this initial flight of the world’s largest aircraft, the pilots evaluated aircraft performance and handling qualities of the all-composite, duel-fuselage design. The airplane took off at 0658 PDT on April 13, 2019, from the Mojave Air & Space Port, and flew for 2.5 hours, achieving a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour and reaching altitudes of up to 17,000 feet. The plane landed safely amid cheers from the team that designed and built the plane.” Without a doubt, Paul G. Allen would have been proud and thrilled to see this dream finally realized.
Virgin Galactic VSS Unity Supersonic Climb to 295,000 YouTube, February 23, 2019 by AIRBOYD. Another in the series of their great videos documenting the progress of SpaceShipTwo as it steadily makes its way to commercial operations. Of particular interest is the cutting together of footage from both SpaceShipOne and White Knight shortly after the launch. It really gives the viewer a new perspective on the launch process pioneered by the 199 X-15 flights as described in the essay.
Virgin Galactic First Space Flight YouTube, December 13, 2018 by AIRBOYD. This is a well made, all-too-short video documenting the first flight of SpaceShipTwo into space. Although X-15 refers to SpaceShipOne, the same applies to video from SpaceShipTwo, of course: “Watch any video of SpaceShipOne being dropped from the White Knight into the same Mojave sky as the X-15 and compare it with the much grainier — but still magnificent — footage captured 40 years earlier from cameras mounted on the X-15. Look familiar? It should because it’s exactly the same in many ways.”
X-15: A personal recollection from the summer of 1969. Medium, December 7, 2018 by Terence C. Gannon. An anecdote from the cutting room floor which some readers will enjoy. Excerpt: “What I recall for sure is that based on my obsessive page flipping with Aircraft, Aircraft there was one plane above the Spirit of St. Louis, the Wright Flyer and all others which I wanted to see — the X-15. Memory is a funny thing, though. I was sure I had actually seen it. I have a clear recollection of ‘Rocket Row’ in front of the Smithsonian’s Arts & Industries Building. I also recollect seeing the artifacts inside, including the X-15, and it was all that I had imagined it would be. It’s a story I have told all my life. I was wrong…”
Branson’s Virgin Galactic reaches edge of space BBC, November 13, 2018 by BBC Staff. There is some exciting news from Mojave, California. Excerpt: “The latest test flight by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic successfully rocketed to the edge of space and back. The firm’s SpaceShipTwo passenger rocket ship reached a height of 82.7km, beyond the altitude at which US agencies have awarded astronaut wings. It marked the plane’s fourth test flight and followed earlier setbacks in the firm’s space programme…”
Jeff Bezos Wants Us All to Leave Earth – for Good Wired Magazine, October 15, 2018 by Steven Levy. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is mentioned in the article as one of the private space programs which has benefitted from the early studies on reusability pioneered by the X-15. Excerpt: “It’s July 17 and the temperature in the West Texas desert is marching, predictably, toward 100 degrees. But the air is cool inside the one-story prefab building where Jeff Bezos, wearing a North Face hiking shirt and a cap emblazoned with an Amazon Robotics logo, is attentive, back straight, listening. It’s only Tuesday, but the week has already been eventful…”
Say Hello to Stratolaunch, the Largest Airplane Ever Created Wired Magazine, August 20, 2018 by Steven Levy. The article X-15 mentions Stratolaunch, which is currently one of the most ambitious private space programs. However, in their case, they are not trying to build a better spaceship but rather a better launch platform. By wingspan it is the largest plane ever built and is set to launch in 2019. Excerpt: “On December 13, 2011, Paul Allen, the reclusive billionaire and cofounder of Microsoft, stood in front of a group of reporters in Seattle and told them about his wild new plan. Wearing the tech-brahmin uniform of navy blazer, dress shirt, and conspicuously absent tie, Allen made some introductory remarks and then rolled a video simulation of a strange beast of an aircraft leaving an oversize hangar. This was Stratolaunch…”
