Spacecraft
Helios 2 Solar Probe: The Helios 2 Solar Probe, a NASA and German Aerospace Center (DLR) mission, holds the record for the fastest speed relative to the Sun. It reached a heliocentric speed of about 157,078 miles per hour (252,792 kilometers per hour) on April 17, 1976.
Land-Based Vehicles
ThrustSSC: The ThrustSSC, a jet-powered car, became the first land-based vehicle to officially break the sound barrier. On October 15, 1997, driver Andy Green achieved a speed of 763.035 miles per hour (1,227.986 kilometers per hour) in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA.
Aircraft
North American X-15: The X-15 rocket-powered aircraft, operated by NASA and the U.S. Air Force, holds the official world record for the fastest speed ever recorded by a manned, powered aircraft. On October 3, 1967,…
