Michael W. Melvill

Born: 1941, Johannesburg, South Africa

Nationality: American

Died: 

Michael Melvill qualified for FAI astronaut status as the first person to fly into space in a privately financed spacecraft. Mike also flew the first X-Prize qualification flight of SpaceShipOne on 29 September 2004.

Mike's SpaceShipOne log:
1) Flight 02C, 29 July 2003, first manned captive flight
2) Flight 03G, 7 August 2003, first glide test
3) Flight 04GC, 27 August 2003, aborted glide test
4) Flight 05G, 27 August 2003, glide test
5) Flight 06G, 23 September 2003, glide test
6) Flight 07G, 17 October 2003, glide test
7) Flight 09G, 19 November 2003, glide test
8) Flight 14P, 13 May 2004, powered flight test
9) Flight 15P, 21 June 2004, first space flight by a commercial craft
10) Flight 16P, 29 September 2004, first of two X-Prize qualification flights