] A privately-developed rocket plane will launch into
] history on June 21 on a mission to become the world's
] first commercial manned space vehicle.
]
] The pilot of the craft, still to be announced, will
] become the first person to earn astronaut wings in a
] non-government sponsored vehicle, and the first private
] civilian to fly a spaceship out of the atmosphere.
]
] That's the word on Wednesday from Scaled Composites in
] the Mojave, California desert -- designer and builder of
] SpaceShipOne. The announcement is the first time the
] group has pre-announced a high-altitude run of its
] piloted rocketship.
]
] Investor and philanthropist Paul Allen and aviation
] technologist Burt Rutan have teamed to create the
] program, which will attempt the first non-governmental
] flight to leave the Earth's atmosphere.

KICK ASS!!! -lb

Private spacecraft blast offs June 21 - Jun 2, 2004