High and fast: the X-15 reached the edge of space
<p><span word="Today">Today</span>, <span word="Doug">Doug</span> <span word="Johnson">Johnson</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Frank">Frank</span> <span word="Oliver">Oliver</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="airplane">airplane</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="flew">flew</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="designed">designed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="equipment">equipment</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="conditions">conditions</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="future">future</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="flights">flights</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="plane">plane</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="pilot">pilot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="B">B</span>-52 <span word="bomber">bomber</span> <span word="plane">plane</span> <span word="pushes">pushes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="button">button</span>. <span word="From">From</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plane">plane</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="wing">wing</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="black">black</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span>-<span word="nosed">nosed</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15 <span word="drops">drops</span> <span word="free">free</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="eleven">eleven</span>-<span word="and">and</span>-<span word="one">one</span>-<span word="half">half</span> <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>.</p><p><span word="Pilot">Pilot</span> <span word="Scott">Scott</span> <span word="Crossfield">Crossfield</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="B">B</span>-52, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="starts">starts</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="rocket">rocket</span> <span word="engine">engine</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="begins">begins</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="powered">powered</span> <span word="flight">flight</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="experimental">experimental</span> <span word="plane">plane</span> <span word="designed">designed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="edge">edge</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="space">space</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15 <span word="flies">flies</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sandy">sandy</span> <span word="wasteland">wasteland</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="California">California</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Mojave">Mojave</span> <span word="Desert">Desert</span>. <span word="Up">Up</span>, <span word="up">up</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="flies">flies</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="minutes">minutes</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="burned">burned</span> <span word="up">up</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="flying">flying</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="thousand">thousand</span> <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>.</p><p><span word="Scott">Scott</span> <span word="Crossfield">Crossfield</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="voice">voice</span> <span word="tightens">tightens</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="breathing">breathing</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="harder">harder</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plane">plane</span> <span word="pushes">pushes</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="speed">speed</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pressure">pressure</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="force">force</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gravity">gravity</span>.</p><p><span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15 <span word="pushes">pushes</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="flight">flight</span> <span word="path">path</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="settles">settles</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="powerless">powerless</span> <span word="slide">slide</span> <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="landing">landing</span> <span word="field">field</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Edwards">Edwards</span> <span word="Air">Air</span> <span word="Force">Force</span> <span word="Base">Base</span>.</p><p><span word="Designers">Designers</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="X">X</span>-15 <span word="have">have</span> <span word="warned">warned</span> <span word="Crossfield">Crossfield</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="landing">landing</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="race">race</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brick">brick</span> <span word="wall">wall</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="sixty">sixty</span> <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>, <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brakes">brakes</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="stopping">stopping</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="meter">meter</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>. <span word="Crossfield">Crossfield</span> <span word="lands">lands</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plane">plane</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="success">success</span> <span word="shows">shows</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="newspaper">newspaper</span> <span word="reports">reports</span>, <span word="that">that</span> "<span word="The">The</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="match">match</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="rockets">rockets</span>. "</p>
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