My Adventures with the X-15 Rocketplane

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What does it take to write a book?

Some authors will tell you it is easy, that the story just pours out from the brain to the page. Others will tell a much different story, especially when it comes to writing non-fiction aerospace history, such as the task Michelle Evans created for herself. However, it was a task she enjoyed from beginning to end. She considers it an adventure to have been able to write her book “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into  Space.” It is an adventure that has spanned decades, and is still going on today.

In this presentation, Michelle shares her personal journey that started in kindergarten with the idea of someday becoming an author, then her father taking her on field trips to Edwards AFB, which gave her a first-hand look at  the X-15, which, in turn, led to her fascination with this amazing, innovative, 
and consequential aircraft. It took decades before she put it all together to  understand that this was the perfect subject for the book she wanted to write.  From there, it took 30 more years of interviews, research, and writing to get to the completed manuscript, yet even then her journey was just beginning.

Michelle travels the world and speaks about the X-15, and tells the stories about not only the rocket plane itself, but all the people who made it the  highest and fastest, as well as the most successful research aircraft to ever take to the skies. 

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Michelle Evans Biography

Michelle Evans is the founder of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com)  and is a writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.  She has written the bestselling book “The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the  First Wings into Space” which was published by the University of Nebraska  Press as part of their “Outward Odyssey, People's History of Spaceflight” 
series.

Michelle's background in aerospace engineering includes serving in the US  Air Force working on missile systems, and later in private industry  accomplishing environmental testing for systems used in airliners and  spacecraft. She has accomplished extensive outreach activities on space  exploration at science centers, museums, and other venues. This has often  involved working closely with astronauts and others involved with the space  program. Her current work primarily involves exciting audiences about the  X-15 research aircraft at locations across the country, as well as overseas.

Michelle is a Distinguished Speaker with the American Institute of  Aeronautics and Astronautics, and her book on the X-15 was a finalist for  the Eugene M. Emme Award for Astronautical Literature. Michelle received  the Diverse Community Leader Award from Orange County Human  Relations, and was recognized on the Orange County Register’s list of the  100 Most Influential People in Orange County. She has appeared in  numerous publications, including Air & Space Smithsonian, Ad Astra,  Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times. 

Michelle had feature stories about her life in both Time and Newsweek  magazines. She was a technical consultant on the Neil Armstrong biopic  “First Man,” and has consulted with National Geographic television for “The  Real Right Stuff.”