SpaceShipOne. The record breaking plane.

 SpaceShipOne aircraft in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, NASM Original Photography, NASM Acc. 2012-0026. 

SpaceShipOne is an experimental air-launched rocket-powered aircraft with sub-orbital spaceflight capability using a hybrid rocket motor. Its mother ship was named "White Knight". Both craft were developed and flown by Mojave Aerospace Ventures, which was a joint venture between Paul Allen (1953–2018) and Scaled Composites, Burt Rutan's (b. 1943) aviation company.

   With SpaceShipOne, private enterprise crossed the threshold into human spaceflight, previously the domain of government programs. The SpaceShipOne team aimed for a simple, robust, and reliable vehicle design that could make affordable space travel and tourism possible. SpaceShipOne won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for repeated flights in a privately developed reusable spacecraft. Its three record-setting suborbital flights were:

  •      100 kilometers (62 miles) altitude; Mike Melvill, pilot — June 21, 2004
  •      102 kilometers (64 miles) altitude; Mike Melvill, pilot — September 29, 2004
  •      112 kilometers (70 miles) altitude; Brian Binnie, pilot — October 4, 2004

 
SpaceShipOne pilot William Brian Binnie. Credit: SpaceFacts 

   SpaceShipOne flight 17P — the third of three record-setting flights to win the Ansari X-Prize — took place on October 4, 2004. It broke the record altitude of 107.96 km (354,200 ft) for a rocket plane set in 1963 by the X-15.

   The SpaceShipOne pilot was Brian Binnie (1953–2022). White Knight was piloted by Mike Melvill (b. 1940). Takeoff from Mojave Spaceport took place at 06:49. White Knight then carried SpaceShipOne to the launch altitude, in excess of 13.3 km. SpaceShipOne separated from White Knight at 07:49, and promptly ignited its rocket. The rocket motor was capable of burning for approximately 87 s. The burn-out altitude was in excess of 61 km. After burn-out the craft continued to coast upwards. The wing was feathered, into high-drag configuration, during the coasting phase. The spacecraft coasted to apogee at an altitude of 112.01 kilometers, well in excess of the X PRIZE target altitude. After apogee, SpaceShipOne reentered the atmosphere in its feathered configuration, and then changed to gliding configuration at 07:57. SpaceShipOne then glided back to the spaceport, deployed landing gear at 1.28 km, and landed safely at 08:13. White Knight then landed at 08:19. The flight lasted 23 minutes 56 seconds, with 3 minutes of weightlessness.  

 
SpaceShipOne during the ascent with its engine ignated. Credit: SpaceFacts
 
  SpaceShipOne in gliding configuration. Credit: SpaceFacts
 

 

© 2025, Andrew Mirecki


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