The Week in Space History- October 14th-20th

Breaking the Sound Barrier- 72 Years Ago

On October 14th, 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier while piloting “Glamorous Glennis,” an Experimental Bell X-1.

The Bell X-1 was a rocket-powered research aircraft designed by Bell Aircraft in the 1940s.

There were several variants, the X-1A, B, C, D, and E, which flew from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. NASA notes that not only was the X-1 important because it was the first aircraft to break the sound barrier; it’s also important because these planes-

“established the concept of the research aircraft, built solely for experimental purposes, and unhampered by any military or commercial requirements. Although subsequent X-planes were built for a wide range of purposes — technology or concept demonstrators, unmanned test missiles, and even as prototypes in all but name — the X-1s were built to go faster than an aircraft had ever flown before.”

Before his historic supersonic flight, Yeager flew fighters during WWII, becoming an Ace and decorated pilot.