Events in Lynnwood WA

NASA and the U.S. Air Force flew the North American X-15 rocket plane to the edge of space years before the first spacecraft orbited Earth.

X-15 historian, Air Force veteran, and science educator Michelle Evans has spent decades researching the groundbreaking program, which set world records and helped transform the future of spaceflight. Her book, The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space, brings a human perspective to the remarkable science and engineering behind the program while highlighting the largely unsung pilots who made its achievements possible.

During this book talk, Evans will share the story behind the story. Her decades-long effort to document the X-15 program has been an adventure of its own, beginning with a life-changing childhood visit to Edwards Air Force Base and continuing through her efforts to track down and interview key figures, including Neil Armstrong.

Audiences can learn more about Evans’ life and career through her interview on the Museum’s Flight Deck podcast, which is also preserved in the Museum’s Digital Collections.