Binnie, who had been the first to pilot SpaceShipOne, had flown the White Knight turbojet, which carried the spacecraft off the ground, during the last two flights, both of which were piloted by Mike Melvill. Melvill's first mission to space barely made the required 62-mile altitude, as it veered about 20 miles off course. On Wednesday, September 29, 2004, Melvill flew SpaceShipOne even higher to 337, 569 feet (64 miles). There was a problem during that flight, though, when spacecraft began a series of corkscrew-like rolls that the pilot brought under control only after he ended the rocket burn 11 seconds early.
During today's flight, pilot Binnie remarked, "It looks great," as he accelerated the craft towards mach 3. Although he told mission control the craft felt a little shaky with "a little roll," this time, there were no unintentional corkscrews. After reaching the landmark achievement, Binnie brought SpaceShipOne to a safe landing.
Congratulations to all involved.
Other Great Resources from About Astronomy and Space
- Telescope Basics
- Moon Basic Information
- Free Printable Space Posters
- Space Shuttle Resources
- Moon Phase Calendar Through 2025