Pictures of the SpaceShipOne launch, June 21, 2004

SpaceShipOne is shown to the crowd

After the successful space flight, SpaceShipOne was towed in front of the crowd. People started cheering, waving, jumping, and celebrating with a level of energy even beyond anything earlier in the day's excitement. Simply stated, the crowd went nuts!

This was a very nice thing of Scaled Composites to do. And a wonderful precedent to set, since the public never gets to see the landing on government-based space flights. But to bring the spacecraft by the crowd afterward, that explains why the crowd went nuts over it.

When aviation and space enthusiasts travel so far to see the event, this simple recognition was greatly appreciated. Thank you!

(3072x2048 1115K) (500x333 23K)	The crowd goes nuts when SpaceShipOne is towed in front. Some of us were caught by surprise, thinking it would only be taken to the VIP stands. Everyone who hadn't waited rushes back to the front. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1177K) (500x333 26K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1144K) (500x333 23K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 730K) (500x333 14K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. Sitting on the tailgate of the pickup truck are Paul Allen and Burt Rutan. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 890K) (500x333 17K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. Sitting on the tailgate of the pickup truck are Paul Allen and Burt Rutan. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 914K) (500x333 17K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. Sitting on the tailgate of the pickup truck are Paul Allen and Burt Rutan. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 933K) (500x333 20K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. Sitting on the tailgate of the pickup truck are Paul Allen and Burt Rutan. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1004K) (500x333 19K)	The pickup truck towing SpaceShipOne stops, causing 63-year old astronaut Mike Melvill to demonstrate exceptional balance in front of the crowd, and remains standing on the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 964K) (500x333 17K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. Sitting on the tailgate of the pickup truck are Paul Allen and Burt Rutan. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 909K) (500x333 14K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1034K) (500x333 16K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1101K) (500x333 21K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 962K) (500x333 19K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1244K) (500x333 27K)	SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd. Pilot Mike Melvill, now the world's first civilian astronaut, stands on top of the spacecraft. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1153K) (500x333 30K)	The crowd watches after a lot of yelling and screaming as SpaceShipOne passed by. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1262K) (500x333 32K)	The crowd watches after a lot of yelling and screaming as SpaceShipOne passed by. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1458K) (500x333 35K)	The crowd begins to disperse back to their vehicles. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1183K) (500x333 31K)	Oops. Ian got in this guy's way when he held up his camera for the crowd shot. The guy was standing on a chair to get a view of SpaceShipOne over the crowd. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
(3072x2048 1203K) (500x333 31K)	Some people are still trying to get views of SpaceShipOne at a distance after it passed by. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)

Back up to Stratofox's pictures of SpaceShipOne's first space flight (June 2004)
Back up to Stratofox's pictures of SpaceShipOne's XPrize space flights (Sept and Oct 2004)

Web text copyright 2004 by Stratofox, a Special Interest Group of the South Bay Community Network, Silicon Valley, California
All pictures copyright 2004 by their photographers.