Robert Aitken Rushworth
Robert Aitken Rushworth was a United States Air Force test pilot, combat pilot, engineer, X-15 astronaut, and major general. He flew 34 X-15 missions, more than any other pilot in the program, and earned astronaut wings after flying above 50 miles in 1963.
- Born
- October 9, 1924
- Died
- March 18, 1993
- Birthplace
- Madison, Maine,United States
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
Suborbital spaceflight above 50 miles
Bio
Rushworth served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam and developed into one of the Air Force's most experienced experimental-aircraft pilots. He studied engineering, graduated from test-pilot school, and joined the X-15 program in 1958.
On June 27, 1963, Rushworth flew X-15 Flight 87 to roughly 285,000 feet, above the United States spaceflight threshold but below the Karman line. The flight qualified him for Air Force astronaut wings under the 50-mile standard.
After the X-15 program, Rushworth returned to senior Air Force test, combat, and acquisition roles. His career connects hypersonic flight research, combat aviation, and the management of major aircraft test programs.