credit AP Photo/Laura Rauch
SpaceShipOne rides beneath White Knight, which took off at 7:11 a.m. Wednesday to carry the spaceship on an hour-long flight to a planned release altitude of 45,000 to 50,000 feet.
credit AP Photo/Laura Rauch
Astronaut Mike Melvill celebrates on top of SpaceShipOne after landing Wednesday.
credit Courtesy of Garth Patil
A preflight photo shows SpaceShipOne’s star-spangled nose, with the White Knight’s cockpit directly above.
credit AP Photo/Laura Rauch
SpaceShipOne comes in for a landing after an unexpectedly bumpy ride that nearly meant an early end to the team’s bid to earn the $10 million prize.
credit AP Photo/Laura Rauch
Space plane SpaceShipOne takes off, attached to White Knight, as the American Mojave Aerospace Ventures team makes the first of two flights needed to win the Ansari X Prize.
