SpaceShipOne

It is not that I am such a good writer, but I simply can't come up with anything better than what I've already written.
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One year ago today, Mike Melvill - an “ordinary guy who flies around the Mojave Airport for a living” flew SpaceShipOne to space, and back.

Twenty seven thousand people travelled to the Mojave to watch. Tens of millions saw the event live on television or broadcast on the internet. There is your interest in space - in the millions of people who voted with their feet and their time. Who demonstrated without recourse to punditry, experts or politicians where they want their future to lie

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‘The Crowd’ by Richard Seaman

Tip to Anousheh Ansari's blog for reminding me of the date.