Milestones and Records
- October 8, 2000 - First firing of an XCOR Aerospace LOX-powered rocket engine.
- July 21, 2001 - First flight, flown by Dick Rutan (single-engine configuration).
- October 6, 2001 - First flight in twin-engine configuration.
- July 24, 2002 - First touch-and-go of a rocket-powered aircraft (world record).
- December 3, 2005 - Set the point-to-point distance record for a ground-launched, rocket-powered aircraft, flying 16 km from Mojave to California City in just under 10 minutes, flown by Dick Rutan. Also first official delivery of U.S. Mail by a rocket-powered aircraft. In recognition of this achievement, the FAI awarded Rutan the 2005 Louis Blériot Medal.
- December 15, 2005 - First arrival of a rocket-powered aircraft at the Mojave Spaceport on a flight originating at another airport, return flight from California City, piloted by Rick Searfoss.
- 2008: The XCOR EZ-Rocket X-Racer prototype rocketplane flew at the 2008 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show.
Read more about this topic: XCOR EZ-Rocket
Famous quotes containing the word records:
“Although crowds gathered once if she but showed her face,
And even old men’s eyes grew dim, this hand alone,
Like some last courtier at a gypsy camping-place
Babbling of fallen majesty, records what’s gone.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)