Dark Space Official on MSN

Flight 90 and the X-15, how a small test deviation turned a research plane into America’s first civilian spaceflight

In 1963, a routine X-15 test flight climbed just a little higher than planned, carrying pilot Joseph Walker beyond the Kármán Line and into space. This is the precise chain of decisions, physics, and ...

The Last USAF Bomber Without A Stealth Profile

This aging bomber continues to adapt, proving its resilience in a changing world.

When the Air Force had a guy jump from the edge of space

During the Space Race, the Air Force sent an officer to sky dive from the edge of space for a science experiment.
Dark Space Official on MSN

X-15 flight 90, the mission that accidentally crossed the Karman line and made Joe Walker America’s first civilian in space

In July 1963, the X-15 was supposed to chase a carefully planned altitude profile, but tiny performance shifts pushed Flight 90 past the space boundary and made Joe Walker the first U.S. civilian in ...