X-15-A3 in flight.
On July 17, 1962 Major Robert White of the US Air Force accelerated his
X-15 craft (number 3) faster than anticipated, with the result that he
managed to climb higher than expected. His final recorded altitude on
this flight was 58.7 miles, or 314,750 feet. By exceeding 50 miles in
altitude, he qualified for astronaut status (and receiving astronaut
wings to wear on his uniform). To this point only the four Mercury
astronauts (Armstrong, Grissom, Glenn, and Carpenter) had achieved this
status. Also on this mission, the X-15 reached its original goal of
achieving a 50-mile-high flight. There would be more to come!
Major Robert White, USAF. Photo credits: NASA.
Robert M. White flew fighter missions in World War 2 and the Korean War.
He earned degrees in science and engineering, and became a test pilot
for the US Air Force flying fighter test planes. Joining the X-15
program in 1960, White reached high altitudes and achieved several
records. After the X-15 program, White flew combat missions in Vietnam
and later became commander of the USAF Test Flight Center at Edwards Air
Force Base. In 2006 he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of
Fame. He passed away in 2010.
Current solar disk with sunspot 1520. Credit: SDO/HMI & Spaceweather.com.
Well, we've come through a geomagnetic storm and it seems we're still
here. The solar flare erupted from sunspot complex 1520 and much of the
storm of radiation and particles hit the Earth's magnetic fields
starting just after midnight on Saturday morning. Earth's magnetic field
saved us and provided magnificent views of the Aurora Borealis as far
south as Utah! Sadly, I saw none of that with the bright city lights and
increasing clouds and storms in the area.
The CME event (coronal mass ejection) hitting the Earth lasted about 36
hours, and readings are getting lower. Further chance of another storm
is lessening as the sunspot group continues to rotate toward the other
side of the Sun. Check Spaceweather.com for photos of the northern
lights and further information.
Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator
Spacerubble.blogspot.com
