It was a one-of-a-kind moment for a throng of well-wishers, including this reporter, all in nose-up, sky-squinting position at California's Mojave Airport on June 21, 2004. Let loose from its White ...

The exhibit 'honors Mike Melvill, the nation's first commercial astronaut who flew SpaceShipOne above 100 kilometers on June 21, 2004.' When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an ...

Although NASA’s Project Mercury and SpaceShipOne served very different objectives, a closer look reveals that both missions were powered by equal parts of competition, innovation, and a strong dose of ...

SpaceShipOne has completed its historic flight and has safely landed. SpaceShipOne reached its projected altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers) even though its engine cut off early. This is the first ...

POWAY, Calif. -- The man whose firm built the engine expected to power SpaceShipOne into suborbital space today plans to build his own craft and compete with his more celebrated partners, Paul Allen ...

Paul G. Allen and Burt Rutan Announce Plans for First Non-Government, Privately Funded Manned Space Flight Mojave, CA: A privately-developed rocket plane will launch into history on June 21 on a ...

Ingenious. Tireless. Masterful. Aerospace engineer and entrepreneur Burt Rutan turns ideas into winged vehicles that soar, take powered flight, and now rocket into space, safely returning to land ...

When re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, SpaceShipOne employed a feathering system that raised to 65 degrees the rear half of the wings along with both tail booms. Invented by American engineer Burt Rutan ...

"It should get a party every 10 years. And it certainly should get a big party on the 50th and the 100th anniversary." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Part 2 explores the dramatically different approaches to the launch systems, and the surprising similarities in the factors that contributed to their success. Although they served very different ...