Flight 87 of the North American X-15 was a sub-orbital spaceflight conducted by NASA and the US Air Force on 27 June 1963.[1] The X-15 was piloted by astronaut Robert A. Rushworth to an altitude of 86.7 km (53.9 mi) surpassing the U.S. definition of space. The X-15 was 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 Rushworth was qualifying for his astronaut wings.
| Mission type | Test flight |
|---|---|
| Operator | USAF/NASA |
| Apogee | 86.7 kilometers (53.9 mi) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | X-15 |
| Manufacturer | North American |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 1 |
| Members | Robert A. Rushworth |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | June 27, 1963 (1963-06-27Z) UTC |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | June 27, 1963 (1963-06-28Z) UTC |
| Landing site | Rogers Dry Lake, Edwards |
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot |  Robert A. Rushworth[2]First spaceflight | |