Monday, June 21, 2004

SpaceShipOne Makes History

"The first non-governmental rocket ship has successfully flown to the edge of space, piloted to a safe landing on a desert airport runway here.

Civilian test pilot, now turned astronaut, Mike Melvill, brought SpaceShipOne down to a Mojave Airport tarmac after flying some 100 kilometers (62 miles) in altitude, leaving the Earth’s atmosphere during his history-making sub-orbital space ride.

SpaceShipOne's pioneering flight lasted some 25 minutes after being released from the White Knight carrier craft. The jet-powered aircraft took SpaceShipOne to 47,000 feet, taking roughly an hour to reach that altitude."

Link
Source: Space.com
See also:
SpaceShipOne Flight Completed Successfully - Slashdot
SpaceShipOne - Google Images
SpaceShipOne - Google News
Space pilot 'ready to go' - BBC News
Space Shot on a Shoestring - Wired News
X-Prize
After SpaceShipOne - Karl Schroeder

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