SpaceShipOne flight 15P

Lore & Background

The flight was a full-altitude test but not itself a competitive flight for the Ansari X Prize. Problems were encountered during the flight but later corrected, paving the way for SpaceShipOne to make competitive flights later in 2004. Taxiing started at 06:37 PDT from Mojave Spaceport, and the flight took off at 06:47. After ascent to 47,000 feet coupled with the White Knight airplane, SpaceShipOne separated at 07:50 and ignited its rocket. Shortly after ignition, at about 60,000 feet, the craft unexpectedly rolled 90 degrees left due to wind shear, then 90 degrees right when the pilot attempted correction. The pilot leveled out, but the correction caused a pitch trim tab to run against a stop, triggering a 3-second timeout of the trim actuator. The pilot and controllers misinterpreted this as a failure and switched to a backup system. Attitude problems persisted until re-entry. A new aerodynamic fairing around the rocket nozzle overheated, softened, and crumpled inward, causing a loud bang but no flight problem. The rocket burn lasted 76 seconds; at burnout altitude was 180,000 feet, Mach 2.9, speed 2,150 mph. The planned apogee was 360,000 feet, but due to attitude problems the craft attained 328,491 feet, passing the 100 km boundary for about 10.23 seconds. Around apogee the craft experienced about 3½ minutes of weightlessness; Melvill opened a bag of M&M's and watched them float. Re-entry occurred 22 miles south of the planned zone; the pilot corrected attitude using a backup trim system. The craft reached Mach 2.9 and 5.0 g deceleration during descent, switched to gliding configuration at 57,000 feet, and landed safely at 08:14.

Reader's Guide

Flight 15P of SpaceShipOne marked the first time a privately funded vehicle carried a human into space, achieving an altitude above 100 km. This milestone demonstrated that non-governmental entities could develop and operate crewed spacecraft, opening the door to commercial spaceflight. The flight was a test for the Tier One program, which aimed to win the Ansari X Prize. Although not a competitive flight itself, it validated the spacecraft's ability to reach space and identified issues—such as roll excursions and trim actuator behavior—that were corrected for later prize attempts. The flight attracted an estimated 11,000 spectators at Mojave Spaceport and millions of television viewers, along with distinguished attendees including former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe praised the achievement, comparing the private citizens to early space travelers. The Federal Aviation Administration presented pilot Mike Melvill with astronaut wings two hours after landing. The flight's success and the subsequent resolution of its problems enabled SpaceShipOne to make two competitive X Prize flights later in 2004, ultimately winning the $10 million prize and advancing the commercial space industry.

Did You Know?

• The flight was the first privately funded human spaceflight to cross the 100 km space boundary, taking place on June 21, 2004.
• Pilot Mike Melvill became the first non-governmental astronaut.
• The craft reached an apogee of 328,491 feet (100,124 m), exceeding the 100 km space boundary for about 10.23 seconds.