 He claimed Mach 5 just three months later when he pegged a speed of on 23 June and then, during the X-15's first full-powered flight on 9 November, he exceeded Mach 6, as he flew to a speed of .Major White also became the first man to fly an airplane in space when he climbed to on 17 July 1962.NASA's Joe Walker flew the airplane to its peak altitude of on 22 August 1963 and Maj William J.