X-15 Photo Database:

I recently completed a major milestone on the way to completion of my X-15 book, in that I have finished a project of putting together a database of all the X-15 photography currently in my possession. These photographs have come from sources, including the pilots and their families, as well as many others who worked on the program. Because of this, there are a great number of photos in this collection that have never been seen outside of these sources previously, and I want to thank everyone that has helped make this possible.

The database currently consists of over 1,900 photographs. Those not already digitized were scanned at high resolution (300 dpi or greater) and cleaned of all dust, scratches, and other imperfections. Color, brightness, and contrast corrections were made where possible. Below are just a few examples of photos in this collection, in this case from the open source of the Edwards AFB History Office.

X-15-3 (tail number 66672) under power immediately after drop from the B-52 mother ship.

Streaking toward space. The view from a chase plane.

After landing on the Edwards lakebed, the B-52 does a flyby salute.

Pilot and future Apollo 11 commander, Neil Armstrong, in the X-15 cockpit after his first flight.