NOW FOR THE REAL PRIZE.

This article reports that SpaceShipOne has won the $10 million Ansari X prize. On October 04, the craft landed safely at Mojave, California, after becoming the first privately financed vehicle to reach the edge of space twice within a week. Preliminary radar data showed SpaceShipOne climbed to an altitude of about 112 kilometres, surpassing the record for a sub-orbital flight set by the experimental X-15 aircraft more than 40 years ago. But the real prize is the space tourism market. On its September 29, 2004, flight, the craft rolled wildly near the top of its climb. And during a flight in June the pilot briefly lost control of the craft's attitude.