[Leica] Re: 1st camera in outer space - was

[shino at panix.com (Rei Shinozuka)]

the X-15 may have been the first *potential* spacecraft, since it began 
flying
in early 1959, but only until after shepard's mercury flight did the X-15
exceeded 200,000 ft (38mi or 61km) on oct 11, 1961 and then 300,000 ft 
(56mi or 91 km) on july 17, 1982.  50 miles is an arbitrary but working
definition of where space begins.

the unofficial records held by the amazing X-15 air/space craft are
an altitude of 354,000 ft (67 mi, 108km--definitely beyond earth's 
atmosphere)
on Aug 22, 1963 and 4,520 mph (mach 6.70) Oct 3, 1967.

however the shepard's first mercury flight was on may 5th 1961, and reached
an altitude of 116.5 miles (615,120ft or 187km) and a maximum velocity of
5,134mph.  so this was america's first spacecraft in space.

and of course gagarin's flight on april 22, 2961 was orbital and reached
315km (196 mi, 1,033,464ft).  i beleive he carried no film cameras on
that mission.

_X-15 Diary_ by Richard Tregaskis gives a good picture of the X-15 program,
written as it was happening.  _X-15_, a docudrama starring Charles Bronson
and Mary Tyler Moore is available on DVD (although the flight shots are
anamorphically distorted).

-rei


On May11 13:57, Dennis Painter wrote:
> Crossfield made the 1st flight.
> 
> Those earning astronaut wings are listed here:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-15#Highest_flights
> 
> Only Joe Walker exceeded the 100 kilometer altitude, twice.
> 
> Christopher Williams wrote:
> 
> > Crossfield helped with the design and flew the early missions. Robert 
> > White
> > may have been the first.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dennis Painter" Subject: 1st camera in outer space - was Re: 
> > [Leica]
> > Got me a 42 megapixelLeica Digital
> >
> > > Wasn't the first human in outer space aboard the X-15 Rocketplane? Who 
> > > was
> > it?
> > > did he take a Minolta?
> > >
> > > Mark Rabiner wrote:

-- 
Rei Shinozuka shino@panix.com
Ridgewood, New Jersey