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SPACE WAS A BLAST ; Pilot's Record Flight in Private Rocket

Posted on: Tuesday, 22 June 2004, 06:00 CDT

PILOT Mike Melvill flew into the history books yesterday when a private rocket soared into the near reaches of space for the first time. SpaceShipOne climbed to a height of more than 62 miles up the first privately-funded craft to go beyond the earth'satmosphere.

The 62-year-old pilot experienced weightlessness for three minutes during the 90 minute flight, and described the trip as 'almost a religious experience'.

He said: 'You have got a hell of a view from 62 miles up. The colours were pretty staggering from up there. It's awesome.

'You can see the curvature of the Earth.'

Melvill said there were a few worrying moments during the flight, particularly when he heard a loud bang.

After landing he pointed to a section at the rear of the spacecraft where a part of the structure covering the nozzle had buckled, suggesting it may have been the source of the noise.

He described being bounced about in his seat as the aircraft approached the sound barrier but the craft became steadier as he went supersonic.

He said: 'You can hear this incredible rushing sound like some hurricane coming by.

'The thing just has a high-frequency roar to it, that is very, very intimidating.'

The pounds 10million spaceship took off, strapped to the belly of an aircraft, at 6.55am from an airstrip in Mojave, California.

One hour later, and at 47,000 feet, it fired off from the mothership.

After shooting to the edge of space, it glided back to Earth, using it's revolutionary wing design. And at 8.15am, SpaceShipOne, which is little bigger than a light aircraft, came to a halt on the runway in front of thousands of cheering spectators.

The successful flight brought the design team, led by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, closer to the pounds 5.5million commercial space travel Ansari X-Prize.

It will be awarded for the first privately financed three-seat spacecraft to reach 62 miles and repeat the feat within two weeks.

The three-seat requirement shows the craft can take paying customers, bringing space tourism a step closer.

The quick turnaround between flights demonstrates reusability and reliability.

If the SpaceShipOne team repeat the flight within two weeks, then the prize is theirs.

Rutan became famous in the aviation world in 1986 when his Voyager plane made the first non-stop flight around the world without refuelling.

He watched yesterday's flight's via a camera which was mounted on the craft's tail.

After touchdown, Rutan said: 'Up there in mission control you saw people getting extremely emotional.

'I am absolutely delighted that what I laid out in 1999, this configuration and design, was finalised.

'I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to make a manned space flight. We did take a lot of risks.'

The mission was funded by the world's fifth richest man, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The 51-year-old space enthusiast is worth pounds 11.5billion.

Yesterday, a NASA spokesman said: 'We need people like Burt Rutan with innovative ideas that will take us to the moon and Mars.

'Folk like Burt bring a different way of doing business.'

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