The following is a statement from NASA Administrator
Sean O’Keefe about the first sub-orbital flight of a person
on a private spacecraft.
“We applaud the remarkable achievement of Burt Rutan, Paul
Allen and test pilot Mike Melvill following the first
successful suborbital flight of SpaceShip One.
“Not unlike the first U.S. and Soviet space travelers in
1961, and China’s first successful spaceflight this year,
these private citizens are pioneers in their own right. They
are doing much to open the door to a new marketplace offering
the experience of weightlessness and suborbital space flight
to the public.
“We congratulate the SpaceShip One team and wish all those
who may follow safe flights.”
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