Mike Melvill
{{Short description|American test pilot and astronaut (born 1940)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox astronaut
| name = Mike Melvill
| image = Mike Melvill crop.jpg
| caption = Melvill in 2004
| type = Commercial astronaut
150px
| nationality = South African / American
| birth_name = Michael Winston Melvill
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|11|30}}
| birth_place = Johannesburg, South Africa
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Test pilot
| alma_mater = Hilton College
| selection = SpaceShipOne 2003
| space_time = 7 mins (roughly estimated)
| missions = SpaceShipOne flight 15P, SpaceShipOne flight 16P
| insignia =
}}
Michael Winston Melvill (born November 30, 1940, in Johannesburg, South Africa){{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Melvill|title=Michael Melvill - American pilot and astronaut|author=|publisher=Britannica|date=November 28, 2016|access-date=June 4, 2019}} is a world-record-breaking pilot{{cite web|title=Chronological listing of all known flights around the World |url=http://www.earthrounders.com/cgi/chrono.php |publisher=Earthrounders.com |access-date=July 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712175742/http://www.earthrounders.com/cgi/chrono.php |archive-date=July 12, 2012 }} and one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites. Melvill piloted SpaceShipOne on its first flight past the edge of space, flight 15P on June 21, 2004,{{cite web |url=http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/combined_white_knight_spaceshipone_flight_tests |title=Scaled Composites: combined white knight spaceshipone flight tests |publisher=Scaled.com |date= |access-date=August 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822194232/http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/combined_white_knight_spaceshipone_flight_tests |archive-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead }} thus becoming the first commercial astronaut, and the 435th person to go into space.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldspaceflight.com/bios/m/melvill-m.php |title=M.Melvill |publisher=Worldspaceflight.com |date= |access-date=August 2, 2010}} He was also the pilot on SpaceShipOne's flight 16P, the first competitive flight in the Ansari X Prize competition.{{cite web |url=http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/melvill_michael.htm |title=Astronaut Biography: Michael Melvill |publisher=Spacefacts.de |date= |access-date=August 2, 2010}}
Life and career
File:Patti-presenting-wings-web.jpg in history]]
File:Mike Melvill upon the completion of mission 15P the first private trip innto Space photo D Ramey Logan.jpg (left) in front of SpaceShipOne]]
In 1978, Melvill met aerospace designer and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan when he flew to California to show Rutan the VariViggen he had built at his home. Rutan then hired him on the spot. In 1982, he was named Rutan's lead test pilot.{{cite web |url=http://www.astronautix.com/astros/melvill.htm |title=Melvill |publisher=Astronautix.com |date= |access-date=August 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101020020000/http://astronautix.com/astros/melvill.htm |archive-date=October 20, 2010 }}
In 1997, Melvill and Dick Rutan, Burt's brother, flew two Long-Eze aircraft that they built side-by-side around the world. This "around the world in 80 nights" flight was called The Spirit of EAA Friendship World Tour, and some legs of it lasted for over 14 hours.{{cite web|url=http://airportjournals.com/dick-rutan-the-frontiers-of-flight-the-last-great-world-record/|title=Dick Rutan The Frontiers of Flight – The Last Great World Record|date=10 October 2014|publisher=|access-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813055007/http://airportjournals.com/dick-rutan-the-frontiers-of-flight-the-last-great-world-record/ |archive-date=August 13, 2020}}
His famous 2004 flights in SpaceshipOne earned him and the entire project team the Ansari X Prize of $10 million and helped spur the beginning of the global private space race.
Later in his career, he became Vice President/General Manager at Scaled Composites.
Mike Melvill holds FAA Commercial certificate, ASEL, AMEL, instrument airplane, rotorcraft-helicopter, glider and now astronaut.{{cite web|url=http://www.roycecarlton.com/speakers/melvill_bio.html |title=Mike Melvill bio |accessdate=2006-09-26 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051224110458/http://www.roycecarlton.com/speakers/melvill_bio.html |archive-date=December 24, 2005 }}
Awards and achievements
File:Scott Crossfield, passes the torch of Space Travel to Mike Melvill by D Ramey Logan.jpg]]
As of January, 2020, Melvill is the sole or joint holder of ten FAI aviation world records in various categories.{{cite web |url=https://records.fai.org/records?f%5B0%5D=field_athlete%253Atitle_field%3AMichael%20W.%20Melvill |title=Records |publisher=Fédération Aéronautique Internationale |access-date=January 19, 2020}}
He was awarded the Iven C. Kincheloe Award in 1999 for high altitude, developmental flight-testing of the model 281 Proteus aircraft.
Through SpaceShipOne flight 15P in 2004, he is known as the first privately funded human spaceflight mission pilot to reach space.{{cite web |url=http://www.flyincruisein.com/MMelvill.html |title=Mike Melvill |publisher=Flyincruisein.com |date=June 21, 2004 |access-date=August 2, 2010}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{cite web |title=Biography at Scaled Composites |url=http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/pilots/michael_w._melvill |website=Scaled Composites |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424214944/http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/pilots/michael_w._melvill |archive-date=April 24, 2016}}
- {{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719044635/http://www.earthrounders.com/cgi/melvill.php |title=Mike and Dick's round the world EAA friendship tour |first1=Mike |last1=Melvill |archive-date=July 19, 2014 |url=http://www.earthrounders.com/cgi/melvill.php |publisher=earthrounders.com}}
- {{cite news |last1=Boyle |first1=Alan |title=First private space pilot 'ready to go' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5236958 |access-date=2 August 2010 |work=NBC News |date=18 June 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428063722/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5236958 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 April 2021}}
{{The Spaceship Company}}
{{Scaled Composites}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melvill, Michael W.}}
Category:People from Johannesburg
Category:South African people of British descent
Category:Commercial astronauts
Category:South African astronauts
Category:Scaled Composites Tier One program
Category:American aviation pioneers
Category:Alumni of Hilton College (South Africa)