The Mojave Desert Launch That Proved Billionaires Could Send Civilians to Space Cheaper Than NASA

Mojave Air and Space Port, California

Before billionaires started their own space race, one man with a small team proved it could be done. Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne didn’t look like any rocket ship you’d seen before, but it got the job done from a simple airstrip in the Mojave Desert.

Here’s how this remote airfield became the birthplace of private space travel.

How Rutan Built a Different Kind of Spacecraft

Burt Rutan designed the 28-foot SpaceShipOne using lightweight graphite-epoxy composites instead of metal. The goal was to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize while proving that private companies can go to space.

The craft used a hybrid rocket engine mixing liquid nitrous oxide with solid rubber fuel, which was safer than traditional liquid rockets.

Rutan’s breakthrough “feathering” system solved the reentry problem by folding the wings and tail booms upward 70 degrees. This simple solution stabilized the spacecraft automatically during descent without complex computers or heavy heat shields that government spacecraft required.

This simple solution stabilized the spacecraft automatically during descent without complex computers or heavy heat shields that government spacecraft required.

White Knight Takes Flight

White Knight, the carrier aircraft for SpaceShipOne, functioned as the first stage of the space system. This twin-engine jet used the same cockpit design as SpaceShipOne so pilots could train in both vehicles.

Two General Electric J85 engines from military jets powered White Knight’s long, thin wings designed for high-altitude flight. SpaceShipOne attached to White Knight’s belly on a special pylon built for clean separation during flight.

Pilots Brian Binnie and Matt Stinemetze flew White Knight for all mission flights.

Crowds Gather for Morning Launch

White Knight’s engines started at 6:45 am on June 21, 2004. The combined aircraft rolled down Mojave’s runway as thousands watched in silence.

Pilots Binnie and Stinemetze flew White Knight in a spiral climb toward 47,000 feet while Mike Melvill waited inside SpaceShipOne’s cabin. For an hour, the paired aircraft climbed steadily into the morning sky.

At 7:50 am, after confirming all systems ready, controllers prepared for the moment when SpaceShipOne would separate from its carrier.

The Man Who Would Make History

Mike Melvill piloted SpaceShipOne at age 62 after decades in experimental aviation. His journey began in the 1970s when he built one of Rutan’s early aircraft designs.

His wife Sally, whom he married in 1961, pinned a lucky horseshoe on his flight suit before takeoff. This same pin had stayed with them throughout their marriage.

Melvill’s thousands of hours flying experimental aircraft made him the natural choice to become the world’s first private astronaut.

Rocket Ignition Challenges

SpaceShipOne released cleanly from White Knight at 47,000 feet. After waiting six seconds for stability, Melvill ignited the rocket motor.

The spacecraft immediately rolled unexpectedly, forcing Melvill to fight the controls. Engine thrust pushed him back with three times normal gravity while vibrations rattled the small cabin.

Switching to the backup control system, Melvill maintained the rocket burn for 76 seconds. The motor pushed SpaceShipOne to Mach 2.9 as it climbed through the thinning air.

Breaking the Space Barrier

After motor burnout, SpaceShipOne continued climbing on momentum alone. The sky outside turned from blue to black as the craft passed 50 miles altitude.

Speed reached 2,150 mph during the climb toward space. SpaceShipOne peaked at exactly 100.124 kilometers (62.214 miles), crossing the Kármán line that officially marks the boundary of space.

This achievement made SpaceShipOne the first private, non-government craft to reach space with a human aboard, joining the elite company of spacecraft from the United States, Russia, and China.

Floating Candy in Zero Gravity

At the flight’s peak, Melvill experienced 3.5 minutes of weightlessness. His body floated freely inside the cabin while Earth curved visibly through the windows.

Reaching into his pocket, Melvill pulled out M&M candies purchased the night before. He released them into the cabin where they floated in formation, catching sunlight through the windows.

Melvill chose M&Ms because they matched his initials, adding a personal touch to the historic moment. Through the windows, Earth appeared as a blue curve against the blackness of space.

Returning Through the Atmosphere

As SpaceShipOne began falling back to Earth, Melvill activated the feathering system. Wings and twin tail booms folded upward, creating a stable shuttlecock configuration for descent.

Air molecules struck the spacecraft, creating a red glow as friction heated the exterior. Melvill heard a loud bang when the composite skin near the rocket nozzle buckled under heat and pressure.

Despite reentry occurring 35 kilometers from the planned location due to earlier control issues, the feathering system worked perfectly, slowing the craft without requiring pilot input.

Gliding Home to Mojave

After slowing through the upper atmosphere, SpaceShipOne converted back to conventional glider form. Melvill regained full aerodynamic control and banked toward Mojave.

Clear skies helped him spot the runway from miles away during the unpowered descent. The craft glided silently toward its landing spot with only wind noise in the cockpit.

The entire flight lasted just 24 minutes from release to touchdown. When wheels touched the runway, crowds erupted in cheers for the completed historic mission.

The Money Behind the Mission

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen provided $25 million to fund SpaceShipOne. He partnered with Burt Rutan to form Mojave Aerospace Ventures specifically for this space program.

Their project proved private companies could reach space without government support. Allen invested more than double the $10 million Ansari X Prize that SpaceShipOne would later win.

This financial backing allowed Rutan to build and test multiple vehicles without compromise. Their success launched the private spaceflight industry and inspired companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX.

Visiting Mojave Air and Space Port

You can visit Mojave Air and Space Port at 1434 Flight Line, Mojave, CA 93501. The facility is open weekdays from 8am to 5pm with limited public access as it remains an active test site.

While the original SpaceShipOne now resides at the Smithsonian, you can view a monument marking the historic 2004 flight in Legacy Park near the administration building.

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