Space Ship One- First Privately Owned Manned Space Ship in Space
On June 21, 2004 the first privately owned manned space ship was launched into the atmosphere. The mother ship for Space Ship One was named White Knight. Both Space Ship One and White Knight were made and launched be Mojave Aerospace Ventures. This company was started by Paul Allen and Burt Rutan with the help of his aviation company Scaled Composites. Allen provided the main funding for the mission which totaled around twenty five million US dollars. The idea for the project began as early as ten years earlier in 1994 but the full-time development cycle time lasted about three years prior to the 2004 launch. Space Ship One achieved supersonic flight on December 17, 2003 which was the one hundred year anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight. The official first space flight of Space Ship One was piloted by Mike Melvill. the Space Ship One retired after seventeen missions and is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in the Milestones of Flight Gallery.
_Space Ship One Flights- First Official Space Flight June 21, 2004
_ Space Ship One Flights
Flight Date Top Speed Altitude Duration Pilot
01C May 20, 2003 Mach 0.53 14.63 km 1 h 48 min Unmanned
02C July 29, 2003 14 km 2 h 06 min Mike Melvill
03G August 7, 2003 278 km/h 14.33 km 19 min 00 s Mike Melvill
04GC August 27, 2003 370 km/h 14 km 1 h 06 min Mike Melvill
05G August 27, 2003 370 km/h 14.69 km 10 min 30 s Mike Melvill
06G September 23, 2003 213 km/h 14.26 km 12 min 15 s Mike Melvill
07G October 17, 2003 241 km/h 14.08 km 17 min 49 s Mike Melvill
08G November 14, 2003 213 km/h 14.42 km 19 min 55 s Peter Siebold
09G November 19, 2003 213 km/h 14.72 km 12 min 25 s Mike Melvill
10G December 4, 2003 213 km/h 14.75 km 13 min 14 s Brian Binnie
11P December 17, 2003 Mach 1.2 20.67 km 18 min 10 s Brian Binnie
12G March 11, 2004 232 km/h 14.78 km 18 min 30 s Peter Siebold
13P April 8, 2004 Mach 1.6 32.00 km 16 min 27 s Peter Siebold
14P May 13, 2004 Mach 2.5 64.43 km 20 min 44 s Mike Melvill
15P June 21, 2004 Mach 2.9 100.124 km 24 min 05 s Mike Melvill
16P September 29, 2004 Mach 2.92 102.93 km 24 min 11 s Mike Melvill
17P October 4, 2004 Mach 3.09 112.014 km 23 min 56 s Brian Binnie
Flight Date Top Speed Altitude Duration Pilot
01C May 20, 2003 Mach 0.53 14.63 km 1 h 48 min Unmanned
02C July 29, 2003 14 km 2 h 06 min Mike Melvill
03G August 7, 2003 278 km/h 14.33 km 19 min 00 s Mike Melvill
04GC August 27, 2003 370 km/h 14 km 1 h 06 min Mike Melvill
05G August 27, 2003 370 km/h 14.69 km 10 min 30 s Mike Melvill
06G September 23, 2003 213 km/h 14.26 km 12 min 15 s Mike Melvill
07G October 17, 2003 241 km/h 14.08 km 17 min 49 s Mike Melvill
08G November 14, 2003 213 km/h 14.42 km 19 min 55 s Peter Siebold
09G November 19, 2003 213 km/h 14.72 km 12 min 25 s Mike Melvill
10G December 4, 2003 213 km/h 14.75 km 13 min 14 s Brian Binnie
11P December 17, 2003 Mach 1.2 20.67 km 18 min 10 s Brian Binnie
12G March 11, 2004 232 km/h 14.78 km 18 min 30 s Peter Siebold
13P April 8, 2004 Mach 1.6 32.00 km 16 min 27 s Peter Siebold
14P May 13, 2004 Mach 2.5 64.43 km 20 min 44 s Mike Melvill
15P June 21, 2004 Mach 2.9 100.124 km 24 min 05 s Mike Melvill
16P September 29, 2004 Mach 2.92 102.93 km 24 min 11 s Mike Melvill
17P October 4, 2004 Mach 3.09 112.014 km 23 min 56 s Brian Binnie