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Article: Spaced out! A high-tech race could make space tourism more affordable.(Earth Atmosphere)
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- January 24, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Hoping to vacation in outer space one day? Once the plot of science-fiction movies, space tourism just took one giant leap closer to reality.
In the past, only governments with bulging wallets could send astronauts into space. But last fall, Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie became the first pilots to guide a privately built craft into space.
Launched from the belly of a specially designed jet airplane, SpaceShipOne soared to a dizzying height of more than 110 kilometers (68 miles) above the planet's surface. Just minutes after cruising into outer space, the craft touched down again safely in Mojave, California.
A series of high-flying journeys ...