Flight 62 of the North American X-15 was a sub-orbital spaceflight conducted by NASA and the US Air Force on 17 July 1962. The X-15 was piloted by astronaut Robert Michael White to an altitude of 95.9 km (59.6 mi) surpassing the U.S. definition of space. Thus it became the first spaceflight of a spaceplane and a reusable spacecraft. The X-15 was also NASA's first space vehicle (the Mercury capsule flew into space first, but the X-15 was airborne before Big Joe 1). The Flight landed at Edwards Air Force Base. With this White was the first test pilot qualifying for his astronaut wings.
References
