Astronaut Joe Engle Flies X-15

Astronaut Joe Engle was assigned to fly the X-15 Research Rocket aircraft in 1963 as part of the US Air Force’s astronaut program.
In 1965, Engle flew the X-15 to an altitude of 280,600 feet, becoming the youngest pilot to qualify as an astronaut and exceeding the required 50-mile altitude for astronaut rating on three occasions.
Engle’s flights in the X-15 took place from 1963 to 1965, with a total of 16 flights under his belt.
The experience of flying the X-15 was breathtaking, with Engle describing seeing the blackness of space above and the bright Earth below, similar to what he would see on the shuttle.
Engle’s achievements in the X-15 program earned him Air Force astronaut wings, providing a brief moment for sightseeing at the edge of space.

A man in a silver suit holds a helmet in his left arm. He looks off to the side. He is standing in front of a black plane.

In 1963, Captain Engle was assigned as one of two Air Force test pilots to fly the X-15 Research Rocket aircraft. In 1965, he flew the X-15 to an altitude of 280,600 feet, and became the youngest pilot ever to qualify as an astronaut. Three of his sixteen flights in the X-15 exceeded the 50-mile (264,000 feet) altitude required for astronaut rating.

NASA

Former NASA astronaut Joe Engle poses in front of an X-15 plane in this Dec. 2, 1965, photo. On June 29, 1965, Engle flew the X-15 to 280,600 feet, becoming the youngest U.S. pilot to qualify as an astronaut.

The Kansas native flew the X-15 for the U.S. Air Force 16 times from 1963 to 1965. Three times Engle flew an X-15 higher than 50 miles (the altitude required for astronaut rating), officially qualifying him for Air Force astronaut wings and providing him a brief moment for sightseeing at the edge of space.

“You could glance out and see the blackness of space above and the extremely bright Earth below. The horizon had the same bands of color you see from the shuttle, with black on top, then purple to deep indigo, then blues and whites,” he said.

Image credit: NASA

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Q. Who was assigned as one of two Air Force test pilots to fly the X-15 Research Rocket aircraft?

A. Captain Joe Engle.

Q. In what year did Captain Engle fly the X-15 to an altitude of 280,600 feet and become the youngest pilot ever to qualify as an astronaut?

A. 1965.

Q. What was the required altitude for astronaut rating?

A. 50 miles (264,000 feet).

Q. How many times did Captain Engle fly the X-15 from 1963 to 1965?

A. 16 times.

Q. Why were three of Captain Engle’s flights in the X-15 considered exceptional?

A. They exceeded the required altitude for astronaut rating.

Q. What was Captain Engle’s experience like during his flight to 280,600 feet?

A. He could see the blackness of space above and the extremely bright Earth below, with a horizon that had bands of color similar to those seen from the shuttle.

Q. Who provided an image credit for the photo of Captain Engle in front of an X-15 plane?

A. NASA.

Q. What was Captain Engle’s nationality?

A. Kansas native (no specific state mentioned).

Q. Why did Captain Engle qualify for Air Force astronaut wings?

A. He flew three times higher than 50 miles, the required altitude for astronaut rating.

Q. How old was Captain Engle when he qualified as an astronaut?

A. The text does not provide a specific age, but it mentions that he became the youngest U.S. pilot to qualify as an astronaut at the time of his flight in 1965.