{
  "id": 14493685,
  "title": "On this day in space! Oct. 14, 1947: Test pilot Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, the first X-plane",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/on-this-day-in-space-oct-14-1947-test-pilot-chuck-yeager-breaks-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-14T16:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Space.com",
    "slug": "space-com",
    "url": "https://www.space.com/space-exploration/on-this-day-in-space-october-14-2026"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 14, 1947, test pilot Chuck Yeager achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in a Bell X-1 rocket plane named Glamorous Glennis. The 29-foot-long aircraft, powered by a rocket engine, reached a speed of Mach 1.07, approximately 821 mph. Despite recovering from a rib injury sustained from falling off a horse, Yeager demonstrated remarkable determination. The Bell X-1 project, a collaboration between NASA's predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the U.S. Army Forces, aimed to explore supersonic flight concepts. Yeager's groundbreaking flight marked the beginning of an ambitious X-plane program that continues to drive advancements in aviation technology, including the current X-59 supersonic airplane designed to test quieter supersonic travel.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}