The concise illustrated history of the first space plane, featuring exclusive photographs.The exciting story of the X-15—the iconic rocket plane of the Cold War space race is recounted by John Anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This experimental space plane was on the cutting edge of hypersonic aerodynamics, and its winged reentry from space foreshadowed the development of the Space Shuttle decades later. Launched fro...