Posted: Sun, Aug 10, 2003, 4:21 AM ET (0821 GMT)
SpaceShipOne (SS1), the suborbital RLV being developed by Scaled Composites, completed its first unpowered free flight on Thursday. The vehicle was carried aloft attached underneath the White Knight aircraft and was released at an altitude of 14,300 meters and a speed of 195 kmph. According to a report on Scaled's web site, SS1 glided for 19 minutes, testing the vehicle's performance over 60% of the planned subsonic flight envelope, before making a runway landing at Mojave Airport in California. The vehicle's performance compared well to simulator tests. SS1 and White Knight were unveiled to the public in April, and the two have conducted a number of captive carry flights, where SS1 remained attached to White Knight throughout the flight, since May. SS1 is considered one of the leading contenders to win the X Prize.

Related Links:

•  Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne information
•  Hobbyspace.com coverage of the flight
•  SPACE.com article