SpaceShipOne

SpaceDev SpaceShipOne Scaled Composites Model 316 Tier One

Mission Profile

The SpaceShipOne (Scaled Composites Model 316, Tier One) was a single-stage American air-launched suborbital spaceplane in the SpaceShip family, the first privately funded crewed vehicle to reach space. Standing 8.5 m long with a 2.7 m wingspan and a launch mass of 3.6 tonnes, it generated 75 kN of thrust from a hybrid rocket motor. First flying in May 2003, SpaceShipOne won the $10 million Ansari X Prize in October 2004 by making two crewed flights above 100 km altitude within two weeks, proving that private enterprise could achieve human spaceflight and inspiring the commercial space tourism industry.