Robert M. White dies at 85; pilot made history with 1962 test flight into space
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - 02:28
in Astronomy & Space
The retired Air Force major general and decorated war veteran was the first pilot to exceed Mach 6. In 1962 he flew an X-15 research plane nearly 60 miles above Earth and then landed it on a dry lake. Robert M. White was a 38-year-old U.S. Air Force major and record-setting test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in 1962 when he joined...