Summary of suborbital astronaut wings flights
Rocket-powered aircraft (prototypes)
| Note |
Only two X-15 flights, both performed by Joseph Walker, reached over 100 km (62.137 mi or 328,084 ft) according to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) definition. Astronaut wings flights, according to the USAF definition, exceeded 50 miles (80.467 km or 264,000 ft) altitude. |
| No. | Pilot's name | Total flights |
Date of record flight |
Aircraft | Flight no. |
Max. altitude (apogee) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael J. Adams † | 1 | 15/11/1967 | X-15A | 191 | 81,080 m | Fatal accident, aircraft destroyed. After reaching peak altitude, X-15A spun out of control and ultimately disintegrated. Max. speed: 5,744 km/h |
| 2 | Brian Binnie | 1 | 04/10/2004 | SpaceShipOne SS1 | 17P | 111,996 m | Second successful flight to win Ansari X Prize; unofficial world altitude record. |
| 3 | William H. Dana † | 2 | 01/11/1966 | X-15A | 174 | 93,540 m | Max. speed: 6,034 km/h |
| 21/08/1968 | 197 | 81,530 m | Max. speed: 5,440 km/h | ||||
| 4 | Joseph Engle | 3 | 29/06/1965 | X-15A | 138 | 85,527 m | Max. speed: 5,522 km/h |
| 10/08/1965 | 143 | 82,601 m | Max. speed: 5,712 km/h | ||||
| 14/10/1965 | 153 | 81,230 m | Max. speed: 5,718 km/h | ||||
| 5 | William (Pete) Knight † | 1 | 17/10/1967 | X-15A | 190 | 85,500 m | Max. speed: 6,204 km/h; made the fastest X-15 flight (no. 188, 03/10/1967) ever, reaching 7,273 km/h (Mach 6.7) |
| 6 | John B. McKay † | 1 | 28/09/1965 | X-15A | 150 | 90,099 m | Max. speed: 6,005 km/h |
| 7 | Mike Melvill | 2 | 21/06/2004 | SpaceShipOne SS1 | 15P | 100,124 m | First private astronaut wings flight. |
| 29/09/2004 | 16P | 102,922 m | First successful flight required to win Ansari X Prize. | ||||
| 8 | Joseph Walker † | 3 | 17/01/1963 | X-15A | 77 | 82,810 m | Max. speed: 5,917 km/h; first civilian flight above 80 km. |
| 19/07/1963 | 90 | 106,010 m | Max. speed: 5,969 km/h; first of only two X-15 astronaut flights according to FAI definition. | ||||
| 22/08/1963 | 91 | 107,960 m | Max. speed: 6,105 km/h | ||||
| 9 | Robert M. White † | 1 | 17/07/1962 | X-15A | 62 | 95,940 m | Then official FAI world altitude record; max. speed: 6,166 km/h |