SpaceShipOne, the rocket plane aiming to win the USD 10 M Ansari X-Prize, has completed the first of two qualifying flights above the Californian desert.
The vehicle blasted straight up over Mojave Airport but started to roll. Experienced pilot Mike Melvill shut the engine down early and regained control to bring SpaceShipOne safely back down.
The SpaceShipOne team confirmed that the craft had reached 103km, passing the 100km boundary of space required under the prize rules. Official verification was expected from the X-Prize judges, but data from Edwards Air Force Base also showed that the craft had passed the 100km mark.