Spaced out.Look out NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. ! For the first time ever, a privately funded spacecraft, called SpaceShipOne, carried a human into space. On June 21, pilot Michael Melvill briefly entered suborbit. That means he popped up to the fringe of space--100 kilometers (62 miles) above Earth--just 100 km (62 mi) shy of the heights reached by NASA crafts. Unlike NASA shuttles, SpaceShipOne didn't use rockets to blast off from the ground. It was attached to a jet plane, which hauled the spacecraft 14 km (9 mi) into the air before releasing it. Then, Melvill ignited ig·nite v. ig·nit·ed, ig·nit·ing, ig·nites v.tr. 1. a. To cause to burn. b. To set fire to. 2. To subject to great heat, especially to make luminous by heat. SpaceShipOne's rocket and flew into space. He didn't stay long. Just minutes later, SpaceShipOne began gliding gliding, n massage technique that comprises long and smooth strokes toward the heart. Commonly used for preparation and warming. Also called effleurage. back to Earth. During the initial descent, the craft's rear wings flipped up 90 degrees. That created more drag, a force that slowed the spacecraft for a soft landing. Afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here , Paul G. Allen, who helped fund the craft said, "This flight begins an exciting new era in space travel." |
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