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Credit & Copyright: Scaled Composites
Explanation:
Human space flight has entered the domain of private companies.
Previously, large countries like the
US and
Russia have hired privately owned civilian
companies to do specific tasks in support of their
public human
space flight programs.
Yesterday, however, the solely corporate
SpaceShipOne soared 100 kilometers
above the Earth for the second time in two weeks to claim the coveted $10 million
dollar
X-Prize put forward by Ansari to inspire private
space flight development.
The X-prize was modeled after the
Orteig prize that was designed to inspire
ocean-crossing airplane flights and won by
Charles Lindbergh in 1927.
The impressive success of
SpaceShipOne, designed by a team led by engineer
Burt Rutan, could usher in a new age of inexpensive
commercial space flights that includes
space tourism and an increased presence of humans in space.
Scaled Composite's SpaceShipOne is
pictured soaring high above the Earth in a
practice run last December.
Tomorrow's picture: giant balls of gas
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: SpaceShipOne - X-prize
Publications with words: SpaceShipOne - X-prize
See also: