Daniel Bergey - Space Travel, Inc.

Space Travel, Inc.

In Books and News on 21 June 2004 with 4 comments

Mark this date, June 21, 2004: Space travel is now a private industry.

MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA – The first non-governmental rocket ship flew to the edge of space today and was piloted to a safe landing on a desert airport runway here.

Civilian test pilot, now turned astronaut Mike Melvill brought SpaceShipOne down to the Mojave Airport tarmac after flying to 100 kilometers (62 miles) in altitude, leaving the Earth’s atmosphere during his history-making sub-orbital space ride.

It reminds me of Tom Swift and his Rocket Ship, which, as far as I can remember, was the first science fiction book I ever read. It chronicles Tom’s participation in a contest to build and fly the first privately-built craft to orbit the earth (similar to today’s X-Prize). Interestingly, it was first published exactly 50 years ago this month.

4 Comments

That is very interesting. I’ve been following the news on this. Seems there were a few glitches but he did make it back to earth alive. They have to do it again within 14 days to compete for the X-Prize.

Me and the ex spent a few days out there in the Mojave Desert. It was beautiful. A different kind of beauty. I want to go back again so bad. It really is like being on another planet.

Posted by Jonathan on 22 June 2004 @ 12pm

do we have that tom swift book around anywhere? i do believe that is the one i haven’t read.

Posted by Steve on 24 June 2004 @ 8pm

No, I got them all from the James V. Brown, I think. And two from the Gettysburg library.

Posted by daniel on 25 June 2004 @ 6am

hmm. well, i shall have to look for them sometime…

Posted by Steve on 26 June 2004 @ 10pm

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