On August 16, 1963, the NASA M2-F1 prototype made its first glide flight
On August 16, 1963, NASA’s M2-F1 experimental aircraft made its first gliding flight. The wingless prototype, which resembled a bathtub, was created to test the concept of a lifting body—an unpowered glider considered an alternative method for returning manned spacecraft to Earth.
During its first test, the M2-F1 was towed by a C-47 Skytrain aircraft. The prototype was lifted to an altitude of 5,200 feet, after which it was released from the tow plane. Test pilot Milt Thompson was in the cockpit and, after a two-minute descent, safely landed the craft in California, according to Space.com.
For more breaking news, follow the UA.News Telegram channel.
The successful flight demonstrated that a wingless vehicle with a lifting body can be controlled and landed safely. This approach involved a landing more similar in principle to that of an airplane, as opposed to a ballistic reentry.
In the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, NASA used capsules with heat shields. At the same time, the M2-F1 tests advanced research into airframe designs and contributed to the development of other experimental vehicles, including the M2-F2, M2-F3, HL-10, as well as the U.S. Air Force’s X-24A and X-24B. Data from these programs were later used in the development of the space shuttle, which returned to Earth and landed like an airplane.
