X-15A-2

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X-15A-2

X-15A-2

Credit: NASA. 17,207 bytes. 500 x 178 pixels.

Family: Winged. Country: USA. Status: Hardware.

Manned hypersonic research rocket aircraft. Stretched rebuild of crashed X-15A, with drop tanks. Reached Mach 6.7 and 108 km altitude.

Specifications

Liftoff Thrust: 23,174 kgf. Total Mass: 23,095 kg. Core Diameter: 1.4 m. Total Length: 15.5 m.

Stage Number: 0. 1 x NB-52 Gross Mass: 177,273 kg. Empty Mass: 70,545 kg. Thrust (vac): 43,896 kgf. Isp: 5,142 sec. Burn time: 48,000 sec. Isp(sl): 4,675 sec. Diameter: 14.7 m. Span: 56.4 m. Length: 47.7 m. Propellants: Air/Kerosene No Engines: 8. J57-19
Stage Number: 1. 2 x X-15A-2 Tanks Gross Mass: 7,026 kg. Empty Mass: 902 kg. Thrust (vac): 0 kgf. Isp: 276 sec. Burn time: 55 sec. Isp(sl): 239 sec. Diameter: 1.0 m. Span: 1.0 m. Length: 6.9 m. Propellants: Lox/Ammonia No Engines: 0. None
Stage Number: 2. 1 x X-15A-2 Gross Mass: 16,069 kg. Empty Mass: 7,766 kg. Thrust (vac): 26,762 kgf. Isp: 276 sec. Burn time: 90 sec. Isp(sl): 239 sec. Diameter: 1.4 m. Span: 6.8 m. Length: 15.5 m. Propellants: Lox/Ammonia No Engines: 1. XLR-99

X-15A-2 Chronology

1964 Jun 25 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 32. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 109 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 4994 kph. Maximum Altitude - 25390 m. First flight of X-15 No. 2 in X-15A-2 configuration, but without drop tanks.

1964 Aug 14 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 33. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 114 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5776 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31486 m. Nose landing gear extended at Mach 4.5. Both tires blew on landing.

1964 Sep 29 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 34. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 118 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5699 kph. Maximum Altitude - 29809 m.

1964 Nov 30 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 35. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 121 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 4970 kph. Maximum Altitude - 26579 m.
X-15C 3-view
Credit: © Mark Wade. 2,441 bytes. 388 x 282 pixels.

1965 Feb 17 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 36. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 127 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5649 kph. Maximum Altitude - 28986 m. Right main landing gear extended at Mach 4.1; normal landing.

1965 Apr 28 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 37. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 131 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5266 kph. Maximum Altitude - 28224 m. First star tracker checkout.

1965 May 18 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 38. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 132 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5697 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31120 m.

1965 Jun 22 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 39. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 137 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 6336 kph. Maximum Altitude - 47518 m.

1965 Jul 8 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 40. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 139 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5887 kph. Maximum Altitude - 64800 m. Star tracker mission to photograph Gamma Cassiopeia.

1965 Aug 3 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 41. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 141 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5796 kph. Maximum Altitude - 63612 m.

1965 Sep 2 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 42. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 146 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5744 kph. Maximum Altitude - 73091 m.

1965 Nov 3 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 43. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 155 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
First flight with empty external tanks. Ammonia tank recovered; Lox tank destroyed. Maximum Speed - 2414 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21520 m.

1966 May 18 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 44. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 158 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5936 kph. Maximum Altitude - 30170 m.

1966 Jul 1 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 45. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 159 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
First flight with fueled external tanks. Engine shutdown at 34.6 seconds due to fuel flow anomalies. Maximum Speed - 1646 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m.

1966 Jul 21 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 46. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 162 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5741 kph. Maximum Altitude - 58610 m.

1966 Aug 3 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 47. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 164 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5535 kph. Maximum Altitude - 75890 m. UV photos of stars in Auriga.

1966 Aug 12 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 48. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 167 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5586 kph. Maximum Altitude - 70440 m.

1966 Aug 30 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 49. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 170 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5701 kph. Maximum Altitude - 30540 m.

1966 Nov 18 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 50. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 175 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Unofficial world's speed record. Maximum Speed - 6838 kph. Maximum Altitude - 30140 m.

1967 May 8 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 51. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 180 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Maximum Speed - 5138 kph. Maximum Altitude - 29750 m. Check out of stability and control with ramjet pod.

1967 Aug 21 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 52. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 186 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
First test with full ablative coating, ramjet pod. Maximum Speed - 5419 kph. Maximum Altitude - 27740 m.

1967 Oct 3 - LV Configuration: X-15 No. 2 Flight 53. Launch Site: Edwards .

X-15 Flight 188 Spacecraft: X-15A-2.
Unofficial world speed record (full ablative coating, dummy ramjet, mechanical eyelid). Maximum Speed - 7273 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31120 m.

Bibliography:

22 - Gatland, Kenneth, Manned Spacecraft, Macmillan, New York, 1968.
38 - Guenther, Ben, Miller, Jay, and Panopalis, Terry,, North American X-15/X-15A-2, Aerofax, Arlington, Texas, 1985.
48 - Miller, Jay,, The X-Planes, Aerofax, Arlington, Texas, 1988.

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Last update 12 March 2001.
Definitions of Technical Terms.
Contact Mark Wade with any corrections or comments.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .