astronaut wings

Cleared Direct Sep 4, 2026

The North American X-15, the Fifty-Mile Threshold, and the Eight Pilots Who Crossed from Aviation into Space

Eight military pilots flew the X-15 above 50 miles in the 1960s, earning astronaut wings and defining the altitude threshold still encoded in U.S. commercial space law today.

Vector

Cleared Direct Aug 25, 2026

The North American X-15, the Rocket Plane That Flew to Space, and the Eight Pilots Who Earned Astronaut Wings Without Ever Riding a Capsule

The North American X-15 holds the all-time speed record for a winged aircraft and sent eight pilots to space - records that have stood for nearly sixty years.

Vector