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X-15 Pilots Finally Get Astronaut Wings

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the it's-all-space-to-me dept.

Ginnungagap42 writes "NASA has a story about pilots Bill Dana, John McKay and Joe Walker finally receiving their astronauts wings for their work in the X-15 program back in the 1960's. Astronauts wings were awarded to the USAF personnel in the 1960's, but not to the civilian NASA pilots until now. The X-15 program was an important testbed for hypersonic flight. It's nice that all the pilots who flew high and fast are finally being recognized."

2 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Congrats! by NetNinja · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I guess this had to happen since the civilian pilot who went up into space to claim the X-Prize was awarded his astronaut wings.

  2. Just like space ship one by evenprime · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It makes sense. They were in a winged, rocket powered craft that was dropped from an airplane. If they actually got to the same height as the guys from Scaled Composites, they deserve the same astronaut wings.

    --

    "Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative" - Miyamoto Musashi
    I think that goes for OS's too