Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne takes the X-Prize, October 4, 2004


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Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X-Prize on October 4, 2004 for making two flights to an altitude of 100 kilometers from the Mojave Airport within two weeks.

SpaceShipOne was designed by Burt Rutan and constructed by Scaled Composites Incorporated. Funding has been provided by Paul G. Allen.

Burt Rutan founded Scaled Composites, Inc. in April 1982 to develop research aircraft. The company currently employs 130 people at the Mojave, California airport.

Link to the Scaled Composites, Incorporated web site

Link to the Mojave Airport web site

Link to the Ansari X-Prize web site

White Knight and SpaceShipOne White Knight, N318SL and SpaceShipOne, N328KF take off from Runway 30 just before sunrise at 6:48 A.M.

White Knight and SpaceShipOne

White Knight and Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne

Beechcraft Starship, N514RS Bob Scheerer's Beechcraft Starship, N514RS serves as medium altitude chase.

Waning gibbous Moon The waning gibbous Moon was hanging high in the sky over the Mojave Desert.

Beechcraft Starship escorts White Knight and SpaceShipOne Beechcraft Starship, N514RS escorts White Knight and SpaceShipOne as they climb to launch altitude

Alphajet escorts White Knight and SpaceShipOne The faster Alphajet weaves back and forth to stay with White Knight and SpaceShipOne.

White Knight and SpaceShipOne White Knight and SpaceShipOne Brian Binnie ignites the solid fuel/liquid oxidizer rocket engine of SpaceShipOne as Mike Melvill banks White Knight to the right at 7:48 A.M.

SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOne climbs vertically to the edge of space.

Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne as it glides back to the Mojave Airport.

Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne

Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne as it glides back to the Mojave Airport at 8:09 A.M.

Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne Brian Binnie piloted SpaceShipOne to a dead-stick landing at 8:12 A.M.

White Knight and SpaceShipOne Beechcraft Starship, N514RS

White Knight and SpaceShipOne Alphajet

White Knight and SpaceShipOne Extra 300, N12DW

White Knight White Knight, N318SL approaches the Mojave Airport two minutes after the landing of SpaceShipOne.

White Knight, N318SL

White Knight

Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW approach the Mojave Airport.

Beechcraft Starship, N514RS and Extra 300, N12DW

Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW fly over the Mojave Airport at 8:15 A.M. before breaking into the landing pattern.

Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW fly over SpaceShipOne sitting on Runway 30.

White Knight White Knight on approach to land on Runway 26.

SpaceShipOne The recovery team examines SpaceShipOne after the flight as White Knight lands in the background.

Alphajet and SpaceShipOne Alphajet flies over SpaceShipOne


June 21, 2004: SpaceShipOne reaches 100 kilometers altitude

SpaceShipOne reaches 100 kilometers altitude Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne made the first privately funded manned flight to 100 Kilometers altitude from the Mojave Airport early in the morning on Monday, June 21. Pilot Mike Melvill earned his astronaut's wings and experienced three minutes of weightlessness during the flight into space.

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