In 2004, during a competition for the Ansari X Prize, the first private space vehicle reached an altitude of 62 miles above Earth, the point where space actually begins.
The $10 million Ansari X Prize was sponsored by Iranian-born American entrepreneurs called Anousheh and Amir Ansari and offered to the first private enterprise that could complete flights with the weight of two passengers to the boundary of space.
Pilot Mike Melvill took SpaceShipOne, or SS1, just past the invisible boundary line and back to earth in a flight that lasted 24 minutes. Melvill landed at what is now the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, becoming the first commercial astronaut in history.
SS1 was designed and developed by Scaled Composites of Mojave, with financing from Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen. Launching SS1 directly from the ground would have required a lot of fuel, doubling the weight of the vehicle. For this reason, it was carried by a larger jet, the twin-fuselage White Knight, and then released at about 47,000 feet.
Another feature that made the flights possible was its feather system. The feather system is when the rear half of the wings of SS1 would fold vertically to reduce speed and load.
Michael Melvill was 63 years old when he won the prize, becaming the first commercial astronaut, and the first person to travel into space on a privately funded spacecraft.
“That was a really good ride. I feel like I nailed it, but right up at the top I got a surprise when it really spun up and did a little victory roll.”, Melvill said after he landed.
Melvill passed away in March 19, 2026. And Now the SS1 is at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Ask us! What questions do you have about content, strategy, pop culture, lifestyle, wellness, history or more? We may use your question in an upcoming article!
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.co
