X-15 Flight 90
| Mission statistics | |
|---|---|
| Mission Name: | X-15 Flight 90 |
| Call Sign: | X-15 |
| Number of crew members: |
1 |
| Launch: | July 19, 1963 18:20:05 UTC NB-52B flying near Smith Ranch Dry Lake, NV 39°20′N 117°29′W / 39.333°N 117.483°W |
| Landing: | July 19, 1963 18:31:29.1 UTC Rogers Dry Lake, Edwards AFB, CA |
| Duration: B-52 drop to X-15 wheel stop |
00:11:24.1 |
| Number of orbits: |
Suborbital |
| Apogee: | 106.01 km |
| Distance traveled: |
534 km |
| Maximum velocity: |
5,971 km/h |
| Peak acceleration: | 5g (49 m/s²) |
| Mass: | Launch 15,195 kg Burnout 6,577 kg Landing 6,260 kg |
| Crew picture | |
|
|
| Joe Walker | |
Contents |
[edit] Crew
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Joseph A. Walker First spaceflight |
|
[edit] Mission parameters
- Mass: 15,195 kg fueled; 6,577 kg burnout; 6,260 kg landed
- Maximum Altitude: 106.01 km
- Range: 534 km
- Burn Time: 84.6 seconds
- Mach: 5.50
- Launch Vehicle: NB-52B Bomber #008
[edit] Mission highlights
Maximum Speed - 5,971 km/h. Maximum Altitude - 106,010 m. 80 cm diameter balloon towed on 30 m line to measure air density. First X-15 flight over 100 km (a height known as the Kármán line). This made Walker the first US civilian in space.[1] First flight launched over Smith Dry Lake, NV. Experiments: Towed balloon, horizon scanner, photometer, infrared and ultraviolet. Balloon instrumentation failed.
The mission was flown by X-15 #3, serial 56-6672 on its 21st flight.
Launched by: NB-52B #008, Pilots Fulton & Bement. Takeoff: 17:19. UTC Landing: 19:04 UTC.
Chase pilots: Crews, Dana, Rogers, Daniel and Wood.
The X-15 engine burned about 85 seconds. Near the end of the burn, acceleration built up to about 4g (39 m/s²). Weightlessness lasted for 3 to 5 minutes. Re-entry heating warmed the exterior of the X-15 to 650 °C in places. During pull up after re-entry, the acceleration built up to 5g (49 m/s²) for 20 seconds. The entire flight lasted about 12 minutes from launch to landing.
| 1st 100 km Flight: X-15 Flight 90 |
X-15 Program | 2nd 100 km Flight: |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Evans, Larry (November 27, 2006). "Higher & Faster: Memorial Fund Established for X-15 pilot". TechMediaNetwork (Space.com). http://www.space.com/adastra/adastra_joewalker_061127.html. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
[edit] References
- Goodwin, Robert (2000). X-15: the NASA mission reports, incorporating files from the USAF. Burlington, Ontario: Apogee Books. ISBN 1896522653.
- Jenkins, Dennis R. (2000), "Hypersonics Before the Shuttle: A Concise History of the X-15 Research Airplane", NASA Technical Reports, NASA, Document ID: 20000068530, http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20000068530
- Price, A. B. (1968), "Thermal protection system X-15A-2 Design Report", NASA Technical Reports, NASA, Document ID: 19680016245, http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19680016245
- Stillwell, W. H. (1965), "X-15 research results with a selected bibliography", NASA Technical Reports, NASA, Document ID: 19650010561, http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19650010561
- Watts, Joe D. (1968), "Flight experience with shock impingement and interference heating on the X-15-2 research airplane", NASA Technical Reports, NASA, Document ID: 19920075739, http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19920075739
