Pilot John Manke first flew the X-24B, the "flying flatiron," on a glide flight #OTD in 1973. These glide missions represented the final milestone in NASA's piloted lifting body program that helped write flight plans for space shuttle landings.
More: https://go.nasa.gov/3OCBlAZ
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NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Lifting Bodies
Lifting Bodies demonstrated the ability of pilots to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle.NASA
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