Space Foundation Celebrates SpaceShipOne's Successful Flight

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sep. 29, 2004) — The Space Foundation offers its heartiest congratulations to the team that successfully sent SpaceShipOne, with astronaut Mike Melvill at the controls, on an amazing sub-orbital arc over the Mojave Spaceport today. The Scaled Composites team is now just one flight away from winning the $10 million Ansari X-Prize. “Once again, Burt Rutan, Paul Allen and the entire group responsible for SpaceShipOne have demonstrated that the United States’ spirit of space exploration is alive and well and can thrive within the private sector,” said Elliot Pulham, President and CEO of the Space Foundation. “This is another red, white and blue day for all Americans.” The Space Foundation also recognizes the brilliant foresight of Virgin Galactic in aligning themselves with Scaled Composites so that commercial trips into suborbital space will soon be a possibility for any paying tourist. About The Space Foundation Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla., the Space Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to vigorously advance and support civil, commercial and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. For more information, visit www.spacefoundation.org.