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Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                   January 27, 1993
(Phone:  202/453-8613)

RELEASE:  93-16

CROSSFIELD AWARDED NASA DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL

	NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin awarded famed test pilot A. Scott
Crossfield the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal for his contributions to
aeronautics and aviation during a 50 year career.  The award was presented in a
Capitol Hill ceremony honoring Crossfield's retirement from federal service
yesterday.

	Crossfield played a pivotal role in NASA's highly successful X-15 
research aircraft program in the late 50s and early 60s.  He also flew most 
of the early experimental X-series research planes for NASA's predecessor, 
the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

	More recently, he has been a key advocate of the National Aero-Space
Plane (NASP) program as technical consultant to the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Science and Technology.

	"Scott's pioneering efforts with the X-series of airplanes and his
contributions to the X-15 program were vital to the historic flight research
accomplishments by NASA and the NACA," Goldin said.  "He has continued to
apply his skills and talents to aeronautics with his visionary advice and 
counsel on the NASP program and the potential it offers to the nation."

	Crossfield joined NACA as a research pilot in 1950.  During his 5-year
stint at the NACA High-Speed Flight Station, Edwards, Calif., he flew the X-1
and D558-II rocket planes and many experimental jets.  On Nov. 20, 1953,
Crossfield became the first person to fly twice the speed of sound at the
controls of the D558-II "Skyrocket".

	As chief engineering test pilot for North American Aviation, Inc.,
Crossfield was the driving force behind development of the record-setting X-15
rocket research aircraft that paved the way for NASA's Space Shuttle.  He
guided the X-15 on its first free flight in 1959 and later qualified the first 
X-15s for flight before they were turned over to NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

	"I have a lot of respect for Scott.  He was an excellent test pilot," 
said former X-15 pilot Milt Thompson, now Chief Engineer at NASA's Ames-Dryden
Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.  "As pilot-consultant to the X-15, he
contributed significantly to the safety and reliability of its design."

	Crossfield served as an executive for Eastern Airlines from 1967 to 
1973, where he helped shape the company's technology applications, new aircraft
specifications and flight research development.  From 1974 to 1975, he was
Senior Vice President with Hawker Siddley Aviation and established its U.S.
subsidiary for design, support and marketing of the HS-146 transport in North
America.

	From 1977 until his retirement, Crossfield was technical consultant to 
the House Committee on Science and Technology, where he advised committee
members on all aspects of civil aviation.  He has been a strong supporter of 
the NASP program to develop a flight research vehicle that will take off 
horizontally, fly into Earth orbit and return through the atmosphere to land 
on a runway.

-end-
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Every once in a while,
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | try pushing your luck.
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |