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After cracking through the sound barrier on Dec. 17, SpaceShipOne's return glide to a Mojave, California landing strip ended in
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 05:20 pm ET
18 December 2003
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www Photos: Courtesy Alan Radecki, used with permission After cracking through the sound barrier on Dec. 17, the privately funded SpaceShipOne's return glide to a Mojave, California landing strip ended in tense moments. 
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SpaceShipOne was making one in a series of test flights in preparation for attempting a sub-orbital space flight. With pilot Brian Binnie at the rocket plane's controls, the craft's left landing gear retracted at touchdown. SpaceShipOne veered to the left, departing the runway with its left wing down. 
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Damage from the landing incident was minor and is easily repairable, reported Scaled Composites, designer and builder of the craft. SpaceShipOne, its builders hope, will be the first privately built, passenger-carrying sub-orbital rocket plane. 
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There were no injuries caused by the landing mishap, with pilot Binnie reportedly in A-OK condition and primed for a future flight. 
Special thanks to photographer Alan Radecki for permission to make this sequence of images available.
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