LiveScience

Pictures: Breaking the Sound Barrier

News
By
published

Mach Speed and More

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Photographer

Mach Speed and More

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer

Mach Speed and More

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Photographer

Chuck Yeager and Bell X-1 Supersonic Plane

United States Air Force Archive

USAF Capt. Charles E. Yeager (shown standing with the Bell X-1 supersonic rocket plane) became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight on Oct. 14, 1947.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

LiveScience Staff
Partner website

For the science geek in everyone, Live Science breaks down the stories behind the most interesting news and photos on the Internet, while also digging up fascinating discoveries that hit on a broad range of fields, from dinosaurs and archaeology to wacky physics and astronomy to health and human behavior. If you want to learn something interesting every day, Live Science is the place for you.