EFL
MOJAVE, Calif. - The SpaceShipOne rocket plane soared high above the Earth on Monday, becoming the first privately developed craft to go into space. SpaceShipOne took off from the Mojave Airport, nestled beneath its White Knight carrier plane, at about 6:45 a.m. PT, sailing up into the clear desert sky. About an hour later, at an altitude of almost 50,000 feet, the White Knight released its companion craft, and SpaceShipOne test pilot Mike Melvill lit up his rocket engine for a 70-second straight-up blast. About 15 minutes later, officials announced that Melvill and SpaceShipOne had done it, reaching an altitude of at least 62 miles (100 kilometers), the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. At around 8:15 a.m. PT, SpaceShipOne glided safely back to Earth, landing back at the Mojave Airport. |