GOOD SCIENCE
+ HIGH STAKES: Rocket fuel can be dangerous, but a Florida-based startup called Rocket Crafters is hoping to reduce the risks.
BOB PEARSON/AFP/GETTY
ON HIS WAY to an altitude of more than 62 miles, test pilot Mike Melvill heard a “tremendous bang” from the engine of SpaceShipOne. Thankfully, things ended well on that June day in 2004, with Melvill landing safely and becoming the first private sector astronaut to reach outer space. Although the source of the noise couldn’t be determined, some speculated that rocket fuel had become jammed in the engine.