X-15 Flight 188

Flight 188
North American X-15A-2 with external tanks, before heat shield paint
Mission typeTest flight, Record speed test
OperatorUSAF/NASA
Range342.79 km (213 miles)
Apogee58.4 kilometers (36.3 mi)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftX-15-A2
ManufacturerNorth American
Crew
Crew size1
MembersWilliam J. Knight
Start of mission
Launch dateOctober 3, 1967 (1967-10-03Z) UTC
End of mission
Landing dateOctober 3, 1967 (1967-10-04Z) UTC
Landing siteRogers Dry Lake, Edwards

William J. Knight with an X-15
North American X-15A-2 with external tanks on Balls 8 on October 3, 1967
North American X-15A-2 on Balls 8 on October 3, 1967
North American X-15A-2 just after white sealer painting on June 26, 1967

The North American X-15's Flight 188 on October 3, 1967, was a record-setting flight. William J. Knight took the X-15A-2 hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft to 102,100 feet (31,100 meters) over Mud Lake, Nevada when Flight 188 reached a record-setting top speed of 4,520 mph (7,270 km/h), Mach 6.70.[1]

  1. ^ Swopes, Bryan (2016). "Flight 188". This Day in Aviation.