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Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X-Prize on October 4, 2004 for making two flights to an altitude of 100 kilometers from the Mojave Airport within two weeks.
SpaceShipOne was designed by Burt Rutan and constructed by Scaled Composites Incorporated. Funding has been provided by Paul G. Allen.
Burt Rutan founded Scaled Composites, Inc. in April 1982 to develop research aircraft. The company currently employs 130 people at the Mojave, California airport.
Link to the Scaled Composites, Incorporated web site
Link to the Mojave Airport web site
Link to the Ansari X-Prize web site
White Knight, N318SL and SpaceShipOne, N328KF take off from Runway 30
just before sunrise at 6:48 A.M.
Bob Scheerer's Beechcraft Starship, N514RS serves as medium altitude
chase.
The waning gibbous Moon was hanging
high in the sky over the Mojave Desert.
Beechcraft Starship, N514RS escorts White Knight and SpaceShipOne
as they climb to launch altitude
The faster Alphajet weaves back and forth to stay with
White Knight and SpaceShipOne.
Brian Binnie ignites the solid fuel/liquid oxidizer rocket engine of SpaceShipOne as
Mike Melvill banks White Knight to the right at 7:48 A.M.
SpaceShipOne climbs vertically to the edge of space.
Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne as it glides back to the
Mojave Airport.
Extra 300, N12DW chases SpaceShipOne
as it glides back to the Mojave Airport at 8:09 A.M.
Brian Binnie piloted SpaceShipOne to a dead-stick
landing at 8:12 A.M.
Beechcraft Starship, N514RS
Alphajet
Extra 300, N12DW
White Knight, N318SL approaches the Mojave Airport two minutes after the
landing of SpaceShipOne.
Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW
approach the Mojave Airport.
Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW fly
over the Mojave Airport at 8:15 A.M. before breaking into the landing pattern.
Beechcraft Starship, N514RS, the Alphajet, and Extra 300, N12DW fly
over SpaceShipOne sitting on Runway 30.
White Knight on approach to land on Runway 26.
The recovery team examines SpaceShipOne after
the flight as White Knight lands in the background.
Alphajet flies over SpaceShipOne
Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne made the first
privately funded manned flight to 100 Kilometers altitude from the Mojave Airport
early in the morning on
Monday, June 21. Pilot Mike Melvill earned his astronaut's wings and
experienced three minutes of weightlessness during the flight into space.
Photos of a dozen special purpose airplanes taken in southern California in 2005.
Airplanes pictured include:
Department of Homeland Security Lockheed P-3B Airborne Early Warning Orion, N144CS, March Air Reserve Base, March 23, 2005;
NASA Airbus Super Guppy 201, N941NA, Boron, California, April 14, 2005;
Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan, RA82704, Vandenberg Air Force Base, May 20, 2005;
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10, N450AX, 10 Tanker Air Carrier, Victorville, June 17, 2005;
Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737-7ES Wedgetail, N378BC, Victorville, July 9, 2005;
Lockheed NP-3D Orion, BuNo 150522, VX-30 Bloodhounds, Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu, July 26, 2005;
Omega Tanker Boeing 707-321C, N707AR, Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu, July 27, 2005;
Scaled Composites Model 318 White Knight, N318SL, Mojave Airport, August 2. 2005;
Boeing 747-Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, N905NA, Space Shuttle Discovery, Edwards Air Force Base, August 19, 2005;
Dornier Do-24ATT, RP-C2403, Santa Barbara Airport, October 10, 2005;
McDonnell-Douglas NF-15B Eagle, NASA 837, Edwards Air Force Base, October 21, 2005;
Scaled Composites Model 281 Proteus, N281PR, Mojave Airport, December 10. 2005.
Put a copy of the Special Purpose Airplanes in Southern California: 2006 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $13.95.
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Go to home page of the Goleta Air and Space Museum.