One of the major steps in America's program to conquer space was the X-15 Project. The stated aims of the project were to discover how well an aircraft can be controlled in near-space environment, and what problems are inherent in re-entering the atmosphere in a piloted aircraft.

 

In order to gain as much altitude as possible witout expending fuel from the X-15's limited supply, the aircraft is carried aloft nested under the wing of a modified B-52 Jet Bomber. In the fuselage of the bomber rides a crew of technicians who service the X-15 during the climb to the launch point. This David and Goliath combination was a very significant step in aviation history.