History was made this morning as SpaceShipOne unofficially completed the requirements of the X Prize today, becoming the first private spacecraft to go to space twice within two weeks. Pilot (er, Astronaut) Brian Binnie took the spacecraft up to an altitude of 368,000 feet (112 km) and enjoyed the dazzling view of Earth from space for a few minutes before gliding his way down to the Mojave airport.
Truly amazing to watch. Space travel for the masses is on its way.
On Sunday night, The Discovery Channel ran a 2-hour program called “Black Sky: The Race for Space”, an excellent documentary of Scaled Composite’s efforts. After Mike Mevill completed the first suborbital test back in June, a spectator handed Burt Rutan a sign that said “SpaceShipOne – GovernmentZero“. Scaled Composites has achieved a feat that only 3 countries have managed to accomplish, and they did it without a penny of government funding. It just goes to show what a lot of imagination, skill, and determination can accomplish if given a chance.