The subject at hand is the North American X-15.
NASA and USAF created this experimental rocket to 'observe' aircraft and spacecraft design at the edge of outer space.
They returned with valuable data collected.
It was a program to investigate all aspects of piloted hypersonic flight. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo piloted spaceflight programs as well as the Space Shuttle program.
Chief Scientist Ken Iliff and his wife, aerospace research engineer Mary Shafer wrote, "The aircraft returned benchmark hypersonic data for aircraft performance, stability and control, materials, shock interaction, hypersonic turbulent boundary layer, skin friction, reaction control jets, aerodynamic heating, and heat transfer."
This is observation at the finest and highest level.
And the kit:
Note how it was 'packed with pride' back in 1982
