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First-Ever Commercial Space Flight a Success

NPR's Alex Chadwick speaks with NPR's David Kestenbaum, reporting from the Mojave Desert site of the launch of SpaceShipOne, the first commercial space flight. Officials are still checking radar data to confirm the final altitude -- but unofficially, SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded rocket ship to carry a human into space Monday morning. The final stage of the flight soared approximately 62 miles high, past the "official" mile marker for the edge of space.

Copyright 2004 NPR

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David Kestenbaum
David Kestenbaum is a correspondent for NPR, covering science, energy issues and, most recently, the global economy for NPR's multimedia project Planet Money. David has been a science correspondent for NPR since 1999. He came to journalism the usual way — by getting a Ph.D. in physics first.
Alex Chadwick
For more than 30 years, Alex Chadwick has been bringing the world to NPR listeners as an NPR News producer, program host and currently senior correspondent. He's reported from every continent except Antarctica.
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