NASA Administrator Lauds Successful Flight of SpaceShipOne

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe about the first sub-orbital flight of a person on a private spacecraft.

"We applaud the remarkable achievement of Burt Rutan, Paul Allen and test pilot Mike Melvill following the first successful suborbital flight of SpaceShip One.

"Not unlike the first U.S. and Soviet space travelers in 1961, and China's first successful spaceflight this year, these private citizens are pioneers in their own right. They are doing much to open the door to a new marketplace offering the experience of weightlessness and suborbital space flight to the public.

"We congratulate the SpaceShip One team and wish all those who may follow safe flights."

For information about NASA's programs of exploration and discovery, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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