Spaceship Soars To 212,000 Feet - Only 117,000 Feet To Go

A privately-built manned spacecraft has reached a record altitude of 212,000 feet over California on one of its final tests before officially entering space.

By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published May 13, 2004 · Updated March 16, 2026

A privately-built manned spacecraft has reached a record altitude of 212,000 feet over California on one of its final tests before officially entering space.

The craft, called SpaceShipOne, was built by aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan, who hopes to win the Ansari X-Prize of $10 million for the first private flight into space.

To win the X-Prize, the craft has to reach an altitude of 329,000 feet twice within three weeks. Twenty-five other teams across the world are competing for the prize.

Flying over the Mojave Desert, SpaceShipOne and its carrier aircraft White Knight moved a step closer to claiming the prize when pilot Mike Melvill took the vehicle closer to space than any non-governmental craft has been — an altitude of 212,000 feet.

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The Space Daily Editorial Team produces content across our two editorial pillars: space industry news and Mind & Meaning. We cover launches, missions, satellites, defense, and the technology of getting humans to space, alongside the psychology of ambition, isolation, and meaning under extremes. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Space Daily takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.