IOL : SpaceShipOne takes giant leap: "SpaceShipOne takes giant leap

December 18 2003 at 06:15AM


Mojave, California - A rocket plane broke the sound barrier on Wednesday during its first powered flight, but the achievement was marred by a partial landing gear collapse that caused it to veer off a desert runway.

SpaceShipOne test pilot Brian Binnie was not injured, and the builder, Scaled Composites LLC, said damage to the craft will be easily repaired.

The company said the test was a milestone because it marked the first manned supersonic flight by an aircraft developed by a small company's private, non-governmental effort.

The craft is being developed by famed aviation designer Burt Rutan for flights to altitudes of 100 kilometres above Earth. The flights would be suborbital: high enough to be in space but not fast enough to be in orbit."
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