How SpaceShipOne's historic launch 20 years ago paved the way for a new space tourism era

A small white space plane comes down for a landing at a runway in the desert.

It was a one-of-a-kind moment for a throng of well-wishers, including this reporter, all in nose-up, sky-squinting position at California's Mojave Airport on June 21, 2004.

Let loose from its White Knight mothership, the rocket engine propelling the experimental suborbital SpaceShipOne vehicle roared to life, skillfully controlled by test pilot Mike Melvill.