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North American X-15

The North American X-15 was a fleet of three reusable rocket-powered hypersonic research aircraft developed by North American Aviation for a joint NASA, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy program. The three airframes made 199 flights from 1959 through 1968, reached Mach 6.70 and 354,200 feet, and generated aerodynamic, heating, control, structural, and human-factors data used across Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle development.

North American X-15
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Identity

Aliases
X-15X-15 programNorth American X-15 program
Family Name
X-15
Full Name
North American X-15
Roles
researchexperimental
Status
retired
Type
spaceplane

Details

Aircraft Specs
Max Takeoff Mass Kg
14,186
Description
The North American X-15 was a fleet of three reusable rocket-powered hypersonic research aircraft developed by North American Aviation for a joint NASA, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy program. The three airframes made 199 flights from 1959 through 1968, reached Mach 6.70 and 354,200 feet, and generated aerodynamic, heating, control, structural, and human-factors data used across Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle development.
Dimensions
Height M
4
First Flight Year
1,959
Last Flight Year
1,968
Manufacturer
Operator
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Nested value
Spacecraft Specs
Reusability
fully_reusable

Links

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 7, 2026 at 05:59:44 UTC
Updated Time
August 14, 2026 at 22:07:54 UTC