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Unit2ThenewspaceraceAplantobuildtheworld'sfirstairportforlaunchingcommercialspacecraftinNewMexicoisthelatestdevelopmentinthenewspacerace,araceamongprivatecompaniesandbillionaireentrepreneurstocarrypayingpassengersintospaceandtokick-startanewindustry,astrotourism.Themanwhoisleadingtheracemaynotbefamiliartoyou,buttoastronauts,pilots,andaeronauticalengineers–basicallytoanyonewhoknowsanythingaboutaircraftdesign–BurtRutanisalegend,anaeronauticalengineerwhoselatestaircraftistheworld'sfirstprivatespaceship.Ashetoldwhenhefirstmethimalittleoverayearago,ifhisideaflies,somedayspacetravelmaybecheapenoughandsafeenoughforordinarypeopletogowhereonlyastronautshavegonebefore.TheWhiteKnightisaratherunusuallookingaircraft,builtjustforthepurposeofcarryingarocketplanecalledSpaceShipOne,thefirstspacecraftbuiltbyprivateenterprise.WhiteKnightandSpaceShipOnearethelatestcreationsofBurtRutan.They'repartofhisdreamtodevelopacommercialtravelbusinessinspace.Therewillbeanewindustry.Andwearejustnowinabeginning.Iwillpredictthatin12or15years,therewillbetensofthousands,maybeevenhundredsofthousandsofpeoplethatfly,andseethatblacksky,saysRutan.OnJune21,2004,WhiteKnighttookofffromanairstripinMojave,Calif.,carryingRutan'sspaceship.Ittook63minutestoreachthelaunchaltitudeof47,000feet.Oncethere,theWhiteKnightcrewpreparedtoreleasethespaceshipone.ThefierceaccelerationslammedMikeMelvill,thepilot,backinhisseat.HeputSpaceShipOneintoanearverticaltrajectory,until,asplanned,thefuelranout.Stillclimbinglikeaspentbullet,Melvillhopedtogainasmuchaltitudeaspossibletoreachspacebeforetheshipbeganfallingbacktoearth.Bythetimethespaceshiponereachedtheendofitsclimb,itwas22milesoffcourse.Butithad,justbarely,reachedanaltitudeofjustover62miles--theinternationallyrecognizedboundaryofspace.ItwasthenewsRutanhadbeenwaitingfor.FallingbacktoEarthfromanaltitudeof62miles,SpaceShipOne'stiltingwing,arevolutionaryinnovationcalledthefeather,causedtherocketplanetopositionitselfforarelativelybenignre-entryandturnedthespaceshipintoaglider.SpaceShipOneglidedtoaflawlesslandingbeforeacrowdofthousands.AfterthatJuneflight,IfeltlikeIwasfloatingaroundandjustonceinawhiletouchingtheground,remembersRutan.Wehadanoperablespaceplane.Rutan'soperablespaceplanewasbuiltbyacompanywithonly130employeesatacostofjust$25million.Hebelieveshissuccesshasendedthegovernment'smonopolyonspacetravel,andopenedituptotheordinarycitizen.Iconcludedthatforaffordabletraveltohappen,thelittleguyhadtodoitbecausehehadtheincentiveforabusiness,saysRutan.DoesRutanviewthisasabusinessventureoratechnologicalchallenge?It'satechnologicalchallengefirst.Andit'sadreamIhadwhenIwas12,hesays.Rutanstartedbuildingmodelairplaneswhenhewassevenyearsold,inDyenuba,Calif.,wherehegrewup.Iwasfascinatedbyputtingbalsawoodtogetherandseehowitwouldfly,heremembers.AndwhenIstartedhavingthecapabilitytodocontestsandactuallywinatrophybymakingabettermodel,thenIwashooked.He'sbeenhookedeversince.Hedesignedhisfirstairplanein1968andflewitfouryearslater.Sincethenhisairplaneshavebecomeknownfortheirstunninglooks,innovativedesignandtechnologicalsophistication.Rutanbegandesigningaspaceshipnearlyadecadeago,aftersettingupsetuphisownaeronauticalresearchanddesignfirm.Bytheyear2000,hehadturnedhisdesignsintomodelsandwastestingthemoutsidehisoffice.WhenIgottothepointthatIknewthatIcouldmakeasafespaceshipthatwouldflyamannedspacemission--whenIsay,'I,'notthegovernment,ourlittleteam--ItoldPaulAllen,'Ithinkwecandothis.'Andheimmediatelysaid,'Gowithit.'PaulAllenco-foundedMicrosoftandisoneoftherichestmenintheworld.Hisdecisiontopump$25millionintoRutan'scompany,ScaledComposites,wasthevoteofconfidencethathisengineersneededtoproceed.Thatwasaheckofachallengetoputinfrontofsomepeoplelikeus,wherewe'retold,'Well,youcan'tdothat.Youwannasee?Wecandothis,saysPeteSebold.WorkonWhiteKnightandSpaceShipOnestartedfouryearsagoinsecret.Bothaircraftwerecustommadefromscratchbyateamof12engineersusinglayersoftoughcarbonfabricgluedtogetherwithepoxy.Designedtobelight-weight,SpaceShipOnecanwithstandthestressofre-entrybecauseoftheradicalwayitcomesbackintotheatmosphere,likeabadmintonshuttlecockorabirdie.Heshowed60Minuteshowitworks.Featheringthewingiskindofadramaticthing,inthatitchangesthewholeconfigurationoftheairplane,heexplains.Andthisisdoneinspace,okay?It'sdoneafteryouflyintospace.Wehavedonesixreentries.Threeofthemfromspaceandthreeofthemfromloweraltitudes.Andsomeofthemhaveevencomedownupsidedown.Andtheairplanebyitselfstraightensitselfrightup,RutanexplainsBySeptember2004,Rutanwasreadyforhisnextchallenge:anattempttowina$10millionprizetobethefirsttoflyaprivatelyfundedspacecraftintospace,anddoittwiceintwoweeks.AfterwehadflowntheJuneflight,andwehadreachedthegoalofourprogram,thenthemostimportantthingwastowinthatprize,saysRutan.ThatprizewastheAnsariXPrize–anextraordinarycompetitioncreatedin1996tostimulateprivateinvestmentinspace.Thefirstofthetwoflightswaspiloted,onceagain,byMikeMelvill.September'sflightputMelville'sskillandtrainingtothetest.Ashewasclimbingoutoftheatmosphere,thespacecraftsuddenlywentintoaseriesofrolls.Howco