Historic Space Launch Attempt Scheduled for June 21 (Forwarded)

Scaled Composites, LLC

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June 2, 2004

Historic Space Launch Attempt Scheduled for June 21

Paul G. Allen and Burt Rutan Announce Plans for First Non-Government,
Privately Funded Manned Space Flight

Mojave, CA -- 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. Investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen and aviation
legend Burt Rutan have teamed to create the program, which will attempt
the first non-governmental flight to leave the earth's atmosphere.

SpaceShipOne will rocket to 100 kilometers (62 miles) into sub-orbital
space above the Mojave Civilian Aerospace Test Center, a commercial
airport in the California desert. If successful, it will demonstrate that the
space frontier is finally open to private enterprise. This event could be the
breakthrough that will enable space access for future generations.

Allen, founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc, is financing the project. Along
with Allen, Vulcan's technology research and development team -- which
takes the lead in developing high impact science and technology projects
for Allen -- has been active in the project's development and management.

"This flight is one of the most exciting and challenging activities taking
place in the fields of aviation and aerospace today," said Paul G. Allen,
sole sponsor in the SpaceShipOne program. "Every time SpaceShipOne
flies we demonstrate that relatively modest amounts of private funding can
significantly increase the boundaries of commercial space technology.
Burt Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites have accomplished
amazing things by conducting the first mission of this kind without any
government backing."

Today's announcement came after SpaceShipOne completed a May 13th,
2004 test flight in which pilot Mike Melvill reached a height of 211,400
feet (approximately 40 miles), the highest altitude ever reached by a non-
government aerospace program.

Sub-orbital space flight refers to a mission that flies out of the atmosphere
but does not reach the speeds needed to sustain continuous orbiting of the
earth. The view from a sub-orbital flight is similar to being in orbit, but the
cost and risks are far less.

The pilot (to be announced at a later date) of the up-coming June sub-
orbital space flight 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.

"Since Yuri Gagarin and Al Shepard's epic flights in 1961, all space
missions have been flown only under large, expensive Government efforts.
By contrast, our program involves a few, dedicated individuals who are
focused entirely on making spaceflight affordable," said Burt Rutan.
"Without the entrepreneur approach, space access would continue to be
out of reach for ordinary citizens. The SpaceShipOne flights will change
all that and encourage others to usher in a new, low-cost era in space
travel."

SpaceShipOne was designed by Rutan and his research team at the
California-based aerospace company, Scaled Composites. Rutan made
aviation news in 1986 by developing the Voyager, the only aircraft to fly
non-stop around the world without refueling.

"To succeed takes more than the work of designers and builders", Rutan
said, "The vision, the will, the commitment and the courage to direct the
program is the most difficult hurdle. We are very fortunate to have the
financial support and the confidence of a visionary like Paul Allen to make
this effort possible."

To reach space, a carrier aircraft, the White Knight, lifts SpaceShipOne
from the runway. An hour later, after climbing to approximately 50,000
feet altitude just east of Mojave, the White Knight releases the spaceship
into a glide. The spaceship pilot then fires his rocket motor for about 80
seconds, reaching Mach 3 in a vertical climb. During the pull-up and
climb, the pilot encounters G-forces three to four times the gravity of the
earth.

SpaceShipOne then coasts up to its goal height of 100 km (62 miles)
before falling back to earth. The pilot experiences a weightless
environment for more than three minutes and, like orbital space travelers,
sees the black sky and the thin blue atmospheric line on the horizon. The
pilot (actually a new astronaut!) then configures the craft's wing and tail
into a high-drag configuration. This provides a "care-free" atmospheric
entry by slowing the spaceship in the upper atmosphere and automatically
aligning it along the flight path. Upon re-entry, the pilot reconfigures the
ship back to a normal glider, and then spends 15 to 20 minutes gliding
back to earth, touching down like an airplane on the same runway from
which he took off. The June flight will be flown solo, but SpaceShipOne is
equipped with three seats and is designed for missions that include pilot
and two passengers.

Unlike any previous manned space mission, the June flight will allow the
public to view, up close, the takeoff and landing as well as the overhead
rocket boost to space. This will be an historic and unique spectator
opportunity. Information for the general public on attending the event is
available at www.scaled.com .

Based on the success of the June space flight attempt, SpaceShipOne will
later compete for the Ansari X Prize, an international competition to create
a reusable aircraft that can launch three passengers into sub-orbital space,
return them safely home, then repeat the launch within two weeks with the
same vehicle.

The Discovery Channel and Vulcan Productions are producing RUTAN'S
RACE FOR SPACE (wt), a world premiere television special that
documents the entire process of the historic effort to create the first
privately-funded spacecraft. From design to flight testing to the moments
of the actual launch and return, the special takes viewers behind-the-
scenes for the complete, inside story of this historic aerospace milestone.
RUTAN'S RACE FOR SPACE will be broadcast later this year.

Hi Resolution Photos for Media,
http://www.scaled.com/projects/tiero...104_photos.htm

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the launch of SpaceShipOne,
http://www.scaled.com/projects/tiero...ews/062104.htm