Flight 13P of SpaceShipOne was its second powered flight, which occurred on April 8, 2004. The pilot was Peter Siebold.
SpaceShipOne was released from White Knight at an altitude of 45,600 ft (13,900 m). Ignition was delayed by about two minutes to evaluate a shock-induced stall buffet. The rocket was lit at an altitude of 38,300 feet (11.7 km) for a 40 second burn.
At burn-out, the Mach number was 1.6. The craft coasted to an apogee altitude of 105,000 feet (32.0 km).
During reentry the craft attained Mach 0.9. The craft switched to glider configuration at 40,000 feet (12.2 km). The craft returned to the spaceport and landed safely.
Famous quotes containing the word flight:
“In all her products, Nature only develops her simplest germs. One would say that it was no great stretch of invention to create birds. The hawk which now takes his flight over the top of the wood was at first, perchance, only a leaf which fluttered in its aisles. From rustling leaves she came in the course of ages to the loftier flight and clear carol of the bird.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)