1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:08,580 (sound of movie projector) 2 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:09,580 (music plays) 3 00:00:09,740 --> 00:00:12,850 In 1955, Neil Armstrong became a 4 00:00:12,870 --> 00:00:14,690 research pilot at NASA's Flight 5 00:00:14,710 --> 00:00:17,090 Research Center in Edwards, CA. 6 00:00:19,950 --> 00:00:21,600 Here, he flew almost all of the 7 00:00:21,620 --> 00:00:23,430 century series of jet fighters. 8 00:00:23,750 --> 00:00:25,070 The F-100... 9 00:00:25,190 --> 00:00:26,700 the F-101... 10 00:00:27,190 --> 00:00:28,400 the F-102... 11 00:00:28,890 --> 00:00:30,010 the F-104... 12 00:00:30,530 --> 00:00:31,910 and the F-105. 13 00:00:32,460 --> 00:00:34,580 He also piloted the F5-D... 14 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:36,380 the Casey 135... 15 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,010 the B-47... 16 00:00:39,300 --> 00:00:41,950 and his first flight was in the P-51. 17 00:00:43,870 --> 00:00:45,220 During this time, he served as 18 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:46,820 a launch pilot on the extensively 19 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,120 modified B-29 that was used to 20 00:00:49,140 --> 00:00:50,960 air launch the X-1E. 21 00:00:51,950 --> 00:00:54,560 He also flew the X-5, the first aircraft 22 00:00:54,580 --> 00:00:56,730 capable of sweeping its wings in flight, 23 00:00:57,150 --> 00:01:00,370 a technique in use on F-14 and B-1 today. 24 00:01:01,390 --> 00:01:03,640 While at the Flight Research Center, Neil made 25 00:01:03,660 --> 00:01:06,510 several flights in the X-1B, a rocket powered 26 00:01:06,530 --> 00:01:08,610 airplane that eventually reached speeds of 27 00:01:08,630 --> 00:01:13,450 up to 1600 mph. And in 1958, he was named 28 00:01:13,470 --> 00:01:15,750 as one of the original seven pilots for the 29 00:01:15,770 --> 00:01:18,720 X-15 program, which was later acclaimed as 30 00:01:18,740 --> 00:01:20,720 the most successful rocket powered 31 00:01:20,740 --> 00:01:21,890 research aircraft. 32 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,530 Specializing in stability and control, Neil 33 00:01:25,550 --> 00:01:27,830 worked closely with engineers in developing 34 00:01:27,850 --> 00:01:30,370 an adaptive flight control system that would 35 00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:32,900 eventually allow the X-15 to fly to near 36 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:34,270 orbital altitudes. 37 00:01:35,060 --> 00:01:36,910 He piloted the first four flights on this 38 00:01:36,930 --> 00:01:39,540 system in the number three X-15, and later 39 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,010 received the AIAA's prestigious 40 00:01:42,030 --> 00:01:44,210 Octave Chanute Award for this effort. 41 00:01:44,730 --> 00:01:47,150 Although originally developed in the 1950s 42 00:01:47,170 --> 00:01:49,280 to increase man's knowledge of hypersonic 43 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:51,950 aeronautics, manned space flight was the 44 00:01:51,970 --> 00:01:54,360 immediate beneficiary of the X-15 45 00:01:54,380 --> 00:01:55,490 research program. 46 00:01:55,510 --> 00:01:57,490 The program dramatically demonstrated the 47 00:01:57,510 --> 00:02:00,030 capability of the human pilot for employing 48 00:02:00,050 --> 00:02:02,730 a fantastic variety of acquired skills, 49 00:02:02,750 --> 00:02:05,900 sensing, judging and coping with the unexpected. 50 00:02:06,390 --> 00:02:08,900 The X-15 was air launched from as fas as 51 00:02:08,920 --> 00:02:11,710 300 miles from its destination. The rocket 52 00:02:11,730 --> 00:02:14,180 engine would only burn for 90 seconds until 53 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,850 its fuel was exhausted and the aircraft would 54 00:02:16,870 --> 00:02:19,410 continue to climb balistically to altitudes 55 00:02:19,430 --> 00:02:22,920 in excess of 300,000 feet and speeds of over 56 00:02:22,940 --> 00:02:24,750 six times the speed of sound. 57 00:02:25,310 --> 00:02:28,260 Yet, barring any unforeseen mechanical problems, 58 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,990 the pilots were almost always able to maneuver 59 00:02:31,010 --> 00:02:33,960 their hypersonic glider to a landing within 60 00:02:33,980 --> 00:02:36,570 1000 ft of their intended mark. 61 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:41,500 (music plays) 62 00:02:41,620 --> 00:02:44,810 In the early 1960s, Neil became involved with 63 00:02:44,830 --> 00:02:47,340 the development and testing of a new concept 64 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,050 that was being considered for use as a possible method 65 00:02:50,530 --> 00:02:53,350 of recovering both manned and unmanned spacecraft. 66 00:02:55,370 --> 00:02:57,890 Although the concept showed promise, subsequent 67 00:02:57,910 --> 00:03:01,120 testing revealed operational problems that made 68 00:03:01,140 --> 00:03:03,430 the paraglider more suitable to hang gliders 69 00:03:03,450 --> 00:03:05,130 than spacecraft recovery. 70 00:03:06,780 --> 00:03:08,830 It was during this same time that Neil, 71 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,730 flying a prototype jet fighter, developed a 72 00:03:11,750 --> 00:03:14,440 technique for the abort rescue of a new manned 73 00:03:14,460 --> 00:03:16,440 spacecraft under consideration. 74 00:03:16,730 --> 00:03:19,110 It was called the X-20 Dyna-Soar and it was 75 00:03:19,130 --> 00:03:20,940 built for the US Air Force. 76 00:03:22,730 --> 00:03:23,980 It would have been launched into 77 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,210 space using a Titan III booster. 78 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,720 Once in space, the X-20 would orbit 79 00:03:29,740 --> 00:03:32,520 the Earth using a principle called dynamic soaring. 80 00:03:32,540 --> 00:03:34,390 Originally developed by the Germans during 81 00:03:34,410 --> 00:03:37,690 World War II, once the speed decreased, 82 00:03:37,710 --> 00:03:39,660 the spacecraft would re-enter the Earth's 83 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,700 atmosphere and land like a simple glider. 84 00:03:44,020 --> 00:03:48,300 In all, Neil logged 2,600 flight hours in over 85 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:53,210 900 flights at Edwards. And all before becoming 86 00:03:53,230 --> 00:03:55,940 the most famous astronaut of all time. 87 00:03:57,770 --> 00:04:00,380 This was one of the most exciting of places 88 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,690 in the world at that time. The flight test 89 00:04:03,710 --> 00:04:06,920 world was filled with excitement. Dozens and 90 00:04:06,940 --> 00:04:10,460 dozens of new concepts and configurations and 91 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,300 tests - something new to talk about every day. 92 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,770 And I believe that, whenever I have the privilege 93 00:04:16,790 --> 00:04:20,500 of visiting here again, in years ahead, 94 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,570 and ask someone, "What's new?" 95 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:26,740 There'll always be something.