This photograph documents one of the most storied partnerships in aerospace history: the Boeing NB-52A 'mothership' (serial 52-0003) carrying the North American X-15 rocket research aircraft slung beneath its wing. Launched from altitude by the B-52, the X-15 rocketed to the edge of space, setting speed and altitude records that helped pave the way for America's crewed spaceflight programs. Photographed on the desert runway at Edwards Air Force Base, this pairing represents the cutting edge of Cold War-era aerospace research. Project: 218216