“SpaceShipOne was a suborbital air-launched spaceplane that completed the first manned private spaceflight in 2004. That same year, it won the US$10 million Ansari X Prize and was immediately retired from active service. Its mothership was named “White Knight”. Both craft were developed and flown by Mojave Aerospace Ventures, which was a joint venture between Paul Allen and Scaled Composites, Burt Rutan's aviation company. Allen provided the funding of approximately US$25 million”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A chase plane follows SpaceShipOne after it reached a height of 62 miles in the first non-governmental flight to leave the Earth's atmosphere on June 21, 2004 in Mojave, California. SpaceShipOne spacecraft was carried to a height of 50,000 by the twin-turbojet high-altitude research aircraft, “White Knight”, where it was launched for its final climb. The space effort was funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and headed by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan. (Photo by Jim Campbell-Pool/Getty Images)

Female sea lion “Sarasa” holds a hose with her mouse to help a trainer clean her room at the Shinagawa Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo on December 30, 2014. The aquarium is carrying out year-end general cleaning of their facilities. (Photo by Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP Photo)

A girl plays with coloured chicks for sale prior to Easter celebrations in Byblos, Lebanon on March 22, 2015. (Photo by Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

Two fourteen-week old lion cubs, a male named Ramzes and a female named Zara, are seen during a Christening ceremony at the Bojnice Zoo April 4, 2015. The two cubs are Barbary lions (Panthera leo leo), local media reported. (Photo by Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters)

Seehund “Bruno” looks out of his transport box before making his way to the water on the beach of the island of Juist, Germany on August 14, 2013. Four young seals were released after six weeks of recovery at a rescue station in Norden-Norddeich. (Photo by Carmen Jaspersen/AFP Photo/DPA)

A women rides a motor bike on a street covered with volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount Kelud, in Solo, Indonesia, Friday, February 14, 2014. A major volcanic eruption in Indonesia blasted clouds of ash and debris 18 kilometers (12 miles) into the air on Friday, forcing authorities to close six airports, cancel flights elsewhere in Southeast Asia and evacuate more than 100,000 people from the mountain. (Photo by Hafidz Novalsyah/AP Photo)

Models blow kisses backstage at the Red Beard show during MBFWI presented by American Express Fall/Winter 2014 on March 13, 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by S. Alemdar/Getty Images for IMG)

Indian paramilitary forces march during the annual Republic Day parade on Rajpath in New Delh, January 26, 2013. Republic Day commemorates the 1950 adoption of India's constitution. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Associated Press)