SpaceShipOne is a suborbital air-launched spaceplane that completed the first manned private spaceflight in 2004. That same year, it won the US$10 million Ansari X Prize and was immediately retired from active service. Its mothership was named "White Knight". Both craft were developed and flown by Mojave Aerospace Ventures, which was a joint venture between Paul Allen and Scaled Composites, Burt Rutan's aviation company.
Additional Info
- Lead Nation: USA
- Project Website: www.scaled.com
- Project Wikipedia Page: SpaceShipOne
Latest from Copernical Team
- Week in images: 12-16 January 2026
- Spire adds hyperspectral sounder and Myriota payloads on SpaceX Twilight launch
- Planet secures multi year satellite contract with Swedish Armed Forces
- Space station study reveals unusual virus bacteria dynamics in microgravity
- Multiple spacecraft track evolving solar storm to improve space weather forecasts
- Early universe dark matter born red hot before cooling
- NASA Back for Seconds with New Food System Design Challenge
- ThinkOrbital raises seed funding to advance orbital defense and construction systems
- NASA reports record heat but omits reference to climate change
- Frozen hydrogen cyanide crystals may have helped spark early chemistry for life













