Systematic research in the field of hypersonic flight in the Earth's atmosphere began in the 1950s. This was due to the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and the beginning of the space age. Understanding hypersonic flight required new theoretical concepts based on reliable experimental results. However, in the 1950s, scientists did not have data readily available to assist them in the aerodynamic design of high-velocity flying vehicles. As a result, various test facilities were built to reproduce specific features of hypersonic flight under ground-based conditions.