The first private-sector attempt to put a human in space will take place on Monday 21 June. Space advocates believe the flight could herald a new era of affordable space tourism.
The space shot will be undertaken by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan’s company, Scaled Composites of Mojave, California – with funding from Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft. Powered by a hybrid rocket motor, Rutan’s SpaceShipOne craft will aim to reach an altitude of 100 kilometres and then return as a glider to a runway landing.
But even if the flight succeeds, it won’t win the $10 million Ansari X…
