Thursday, December 18, 2003

New Scientist :: The Real 100th Anniversary Flight

New Scientist: "The first piloted and rocket-powered craft to have been developed by a private company made its maiden flight on Wednesday, over the Mojave desert in California.
The craft, called Space Ship One (SS1), also become the first private craft to break the sound barrier, reaching a top speed of 930 mph (1490 km/h). The flight, exactly 100 years after the Wright brothers made their historic flight, marks a big step to winning the $10 million X Prize for private spaceflight."

The Wright Brothers failed re-enactment notwithstanding, read this story (and check the pic) to see how far private aviators have come in 100 years.

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