MOJAVE, California, Oct 4 (AFP) - SpaceShipOne, the world`s only private manned spacecraft, touched down in the California desert on Monday after a spaceflight which bagged it a 10-million-dollar prize and set a new altitude record.
SpaceShipOne one landed at 8:14 am (1514 GMT) after rising 368,000 feet (70.77 miles or 114.64 kilometers) and out of the Earth`s atmosphere to win the Ansari X Prize aimed at kickstarting a new era of commercial space travel.
As SpaceShipOne touched down here, its designer, aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, stood alongside British tycoon Richard Branson and X prize chief Peter Diamandis on the tarmac of Mojave airport leaping for joy and cheering the historic feat.