The X-15 was a joint hypersonic research program with NASA, the Air Force, the Navy, and North American Aviation, Inc. It was developed to provide in-flight data on aerodynamics, structures, flight controls, and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The X-15 proved that piloted high-performance aircraft can be flown in space, and identified 25 specific accomplishments which contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and

On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped down from Apollo 11's lunar module onto the surface of the moon, the first human in history to do so. http://abc7.la/29VgYf1 | ABC7

Astronaut, military pilot and educator, Neil Armstrong, who was born on this day in 1930, made history in 1969 when he became the first man to walk on the moon. | Biography