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UNITED2APLANTOBUILDTHEWORLDSFIRSTAIRPORTFORLAUNCHINGCOMMERCIALSPACECRAFTINNEWMEXICOISTHELATESTDEVELOPMENTINTHENEWSPACERACE,ARACEAMONGPRIVATECOMPANIESANDBILLIONAIREENTREPRENEURSTOCARRYPAYINGPASSENGERSINTOSPACEANDTOKICKSTARTANEWINDUSTRY,ASTROTOURISMTHEMANWHOISLEADINGTHERACEMAYNOTBEFAMILIARTOYOU,BUTTOASTRONAUTS,PILOTS,ANDAERONAUTICALENGINEERSBASICALLYTOANYONEWHOKNOWSANYTHINGABOUTAIRCRAFTDESIGNBURTRUTANISALEGEND,ANAERONAUTICALENGINEERWHOSELATESTAIRCRAFTISTHEWORLDSFIRSTPRIVATESPACESHIPASHETOLD60MINUTESCORRESPONDENTEDBRADLEYWHENHEFIRSTMETHIMALITTLEOVERAYEARAGO,IFHISIDEAFLIES,SOMEDAYSPACETRAVELMAYBECHEAPENOUGHANDSAFEENOUGHFORORDINARYPEOPLETOGOWHEREONLYASTRONAUTSHAVEGONEBEFORETHEWHITEKNIGHTISARATHERUNUSUALLOOKINGAIRCRAFT,BUILTJUSTFORTHEPURPOSEOFCARRYINGAROCKETPLANECALLEDSPACESHIPONE,THEFIRSTSPACECRAFTBUILTBYPRIVATEENTERPRISEWHITEKNIGHTANDSPACESHIPONEARETHELATESTCREATIONSOFBURTRUTANTHEYREPARTOFHISDREAMTODEVELOPACOMMERCIALTRAVELBUSINESSINSPACE“THEREWILLBEANEWINDUSTRYANDWEAREJUSTNOWINABEGINNINGIWILLPREDICTTHATIN12OR15YEARS,THEREWILLBETENSOFTHOUSANDS,MAYBEEVENHUNDREDSOFTHOUSANDSOFPEOPLETHATFLY,ANDSEETHATBLACKSKY,“SAYSRUTANONJUNE21,2004,WHITEKNIGHTTOOKOFFFROMANAIRSTRIPINMOJAVE,CALIF,CARRYINGRUTANSSPACESHIPITTOOK63MINUTESTOREACHTHELAUNCHALTITUDEOF47,000FEETONCETHERE,THEWHITEKNIGHTCREWPREPAREDTORELEASETHESPACESHIPTHEFIERCEACCELERATIONSLAMMEDMIKEMELVILL,THEPILOT,BACKINHISSEATHEPUTSPACESHIPONEINTOANEARVERTICALTRAJECTORY,UNTIL,ASPLANNED,THEFUELRANOUTSTILLCLIMBINGLIKEASPENTBULLET,MELVILLHOPEDTOGAINASMUCHALTITUDEASPOSSIBLETOREACHSPACEBEFORETHESHIPBEGANFALLINGBACKTOEARTHBYTHETIMETHESPACESHIPREACHEDTHEENDOFITSCLIMB,ITWAS22MILESOFFCOURSEBUTITHAD,JUSTBARELY,REACHEDANALTITUDEOFJUSTOVER62MILESTHEINTERNATIONALLYRECOGNIZEDBOUNDARYOFSPACEITWASTHENEWSRUTANHADBEENWAITINGFORFALLINGBACKTOEARTHFROMANALTITUDEOF62MILES,SPACESHIPONESTILTINGWING,AREVOLUTIONARYINNOVATIONCALLEDTHEFEATHER,CAUSEDTHEROCKETPLANETOPOSITIONITSELFFORARELATIVELYBENIGNREENTRYANDTURNEDTHESPACESHIPINTOAGLIDERSPACESHIPONEGLIDEDTOAFLAWLESSLANDINGBEFOREACROWDOFTHOUSANDS“AFTERTHATJUNEFLIGHT,IFELTLIKEIWASFLOATINGAROUNDANDJUSTONCEINAWHILETOUCHINGTHEGROUND,“REMEMBERSRUTAN“WEHADANOPERABLESPACEPLANE“RUTANS“OPERABLESPACEPLANE“WASBUILTBYACOMPANYWITHONLY130EMPLOYEESATACOSTOFJUST25MILLIONHEBELIEVESHISSUCCESSHASENDEDTHEGOVERNMENTSMONOPOLYONSPACETRAVEL,ANDOPENEDITUPTOTHEORDINARYCITIZEN“ICONCLUDEDTHATFORAFFORDABLETRAVELTOHAPPEN,THELITTLEGUYHADTODOITBECAUSEHEHADTHEINCENTIVEFORABUSINESS,“SAYSRUTANDOESRUTANVIEWTHISASABUSINESSVENTUREORATECHNOLOGICALCHALLENGE“ITSATECHNOLOGICALCHALLENGEFIRSTANDITSADREAMIHADWHENIWAS12,“HESAYSRUTANSTARTEDBUILDINGMODELAIRPLANESWHENHEWASSEVENYEARSOLD,INDYENUBA,CALIF,WHEREHEGREWUP“IWASFASCINATEDBYPUTTINGBALSAWOODTOGETHERANDSEEHOWITWOULDFLY,“HEREMEMBERS“ANDWHENISTARTEDHAVINGTHECAPABILITYTODOCONTESTSANDACTUALLYWINATROPHYBYMAKINGABETTERMODEL,THENIWASHOOKED“HESBEENHOOKEDEVERSINCEHEDESIGNEDHISFIRSTAIRPLANEIN1968ANDFLEWITFOURYEARSLATERSINCETHENHISAIRPLANESHAVEBECOMEKNOWNFORTHEIRSTUNNINGLOOKS,INNOVATIVEDESIGNANDTECHNOLOGICALSOPHISTICATIONRUTANBEGANDESIGNINGASPACESHIPNEARLYADECADEAGO,AFTERSETTINGUPSETUPHISOWNAERONAUTICALRESEARCHANDDESIGNFIRMBYTHEYEAR2000,HEHADTURNEDHISDESIGNSINTOMODELSANDWASTESTINGTHEMOUTSIDEHISOFFICEWHENIGOTTOTHEPOINTTHATIKNEWTHATICOULDMAKEASAFESPACESHIPTHATWOULDFLYAMANNEDSPACEMISSIONWHENISAY,I,NOTTHEGOVERNMENT,OURLITTLETEAMITOLDPAULALLEN,ITHINKWECANDOTHISANDHEIMMEDIATELYSAID,GOWITHIT“PAULALLENCOFOUNDEDMICROSOFTANDISONEOFTHERICHESTMENINTHEWORLDHISDECISIONTOPUMP25MILLIONINTORUTANSCOMPANY,SCALEDCOMPOSITES,WASTHEVOTEOFCONFIDENCETHATHISENGINEERSNEEDEDTOPROCEED“THATWASAHECKOFACHALLENGETOPUTINFRONTOFSOMEPEOPLELIKEUS,WHEREWERETOLD,WELL,YOUCANTDOTHATYOUWANNASEEWECANDOTHIS,“SAYSPETESEBOLDWORKONWHITEKNIGHTANDSPACESHIPONESTARTEDFOURYEARSAGOINSECRETBOTHAIRCRAFTWERECUSTOMMADEFROMSCRATCHBYATEAMOF12ENGINEERSUSINGLAYERSOFTOUGHCARBONFABRICGLUEDTOGETHERWITHEPOXYDESIGNEDTOBELIGHTWEIGHT,SPACESHIPONECANWITHSTANDTHESTRESSOFREENTRYBECAUSEOFTHERADICALWAYITCOMESBACKINTOTHEATMOSPHERE,LIKEABADMINTONSHUTTLECOCKORABIRDIEHESHOWED60MINUTESHOWITWORKS“FEATHERINGTHEWINGISKINDOFADRAMATICTHING,INTHATITCHANGESTHEWHOLECONFIGURATIONOFTHEAIRPLANE,“HEEXPLAINS“ANDTHISISDONEINSPACE,OKAYITSDONEAFTERYOUFLYINTOSPACE“WEHAVEDONESIXREENTRIESTHREEOFTHEMFROMSPACEANDTHREEOFTHEMFROMLOWERALTITUDESANDSOMEOFTHEMHAVEEVENCOMEDOWNUPSIDEDOWNANDTHEAIRPLANEBYITSELFSTRAIGHTENSITSELFRIGHTUP,“RUTANEXPLAINSBYSEPTEMBER2004,RUTANWASREADYFORHISNEXTCHALLENGEANATTEMPTTOWINA10MILLIONPRIZETOBETHEFIRSTTOFLYAPRIVATELYFUNDEDSPACECRAFTINTOSPACE,ANDDOITTWICEINTWOWEEKS“AFTERWEHADFLOWNTHEJUNEFLIGHT,ANDWEHADREACHEDTHEGOALOFOURPROGRAM,THENTHEMOSTIMPORTANTTHINGWASTOWINTHATPRIZE,“SAYSRUTANTHATPRIZEWASTHEANSARIXPRIZEANEXTRAORDINARYCOMPETITIONCREATEDIN1996TOSTIMULATEPRIVATEINVESTMENTINSPACETHEFIRSTOFTHETWOFLIGHTSWASPILOTED,ONCEAGAIN,BYMIKEMELVILLSEPTEMBERSFLIGHTPUTMELVILLESSKILLANDTRAININGTOTHETESTASHEWASCLIMBINGOUTOFTHEATMOSPHERE,THESPACECRAFTSUDDENLYWENTINTOASERIESOFROLLSHOWCONCERNEDWASHE“WELL,ITHOUGHTICOULDWORKITOUTIMVERYCONFIDENTWHENIMFL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