Rocket Financed By Paul Allen Soars

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Story Published: Dec 17, 2003 at 4:44 PM PST

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 12:22 AM PST

By KOMO Staff & News Services

MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA - A rocket plane developed by a private company has made its first powered flight in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles.

The craft known as SpaceShipOne broke the sound barrier. But on the ground, part of the landing gear collapsed, causing it to veer off an airport runway. The test pilot was not hurt.

Paul Allen of Seattle says he's backing the project financially. He says he's added tens of millions of dollars. The Microsoft co-founder says the spaceship is amazing and shows what private technology can do when creative people try to push the boundaries of what's possible.

The builder, Scaled Composites, is developing the plane for manned suborbital space flights.

The plane was carried under a jet to 48-thousand feet, then was released. The pilot flew the plane as a glider at first, then fired the rocket motor and made an ascent to 68-thousand feet.

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