[APOLLO 11]. X-15 VINTAGE COLOR PHOTOLITHOGRAPH, SIGNED BY NEIL ARMSTRONG, MIKE ADAMS, BILL DANA, AND OTHERS

X-15A-2 

THE ADVANCED MANNED RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

Vintage color photolithograph, 13 3/8 by 11 3/8 inches, SIGNED by NEIL ARMSTRONG, MIKE ADAMS, VINCE CAPASSO ("PROG ENG -X-15-3"), BILL DANA, WILLIAM KNIGHT, JOHN B. MCKAY, MILT THOMSON, RON WAITE (?), and INSCRIBED "DAVE— | COME BACK WITH A | DEGREE— YOUR FRIENDS IN | FLT. OPS."

In the joint X-15 hypersonic research program that NASA conducted with the Air Force, the Navy, and North American Aviation, Inc., the aircraft flew over a period of nearly 10 years and set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 feet in a program to investigate all aspects of piloted hypersonic flight. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo piloted spaceflight programs as well as the Space Shuttle program.