Fact Sheet
Slipping the Surly Bonds
The era of powered flight began 100 years ago this week when Orville Wright climbed aboard the experimental Wright Flyer, cranked up its 12-horsepower engine, and soared into history. He piloted the aircraft across a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds, completing the first-ever controlled, powered flight by an aircraft. Astronomers have taken advantage of the lofty perch provided by aircraft to study the universe, and are preparing to fly the largest airborne observatory to date. [Illustration from "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight 1903-2003," mural by Dr. Robert T. McCall, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center]
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