October 4, 2004Reputable sourceWell documented
SpaceShipOne wins private spaceflight
On the timeline · around October 4, 2004 ·
What happened
Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne reached space twice in five days to win the $10M Ansari X Prize — the first private crewed spacecraft.
Why it matters
Proof that spaceflight was no longer a governments-only club.
Sources
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. SpaceShipOne (collection record) · Reputable source