The Speculist

We are now 15 minutes from launch. I'm watching live here.

UPDATE: I've found much better bandwidth for watching this here.

UPDATE: 7:08 PT - They've taxied down to the end of the runway and are doing the preflight check.

UPDATE: 7:13 PT - White Knight is on the rollout.

UPDATE: 7:17 PT - White Knight is aloft.

UPDATE: 7:44 PT - Just announced: SpaceShipOne is expected to separate from White Knight around 8:15 PT..

UPDATE: SpaceShipOne is sporting the Virgin logo.

UPDATE: 8:12 PT: We have release. "He's in the climb."

UPDATE: He's in a roll. Hope he's okay. He's shut down engines.

UPDATE: 8:15 PT: Announcer is saying he made it. Was that a "victory roll?"

UPDATE: 8:19 PT: SpaceShipOne is reconfigured as a glider and is on the way back.

UPDATE: 8:34 PT: The announcers aren't acting like that was a victory roll. This guy wouldn't have done anything to add to the risk of the flight. If it's was a malfunction - and that seems likely - it might delay the second flight.

UPDATE: 8:36 PT: Touchdown! Mike Melville is safely on the ground. Now waiting for certification of the flight. Live blogging has to end for now...

UPDATE: According to Instapundit, CNN and FoxNews are reporting that he made it to X-prize altitude..

UPDATE: Amazing, SpaceShipOne is hardly longer than the pickup they are towing it with.

UPDATE: Foxnews gives this quote from Dick Rutan:

"I was worried about that [roll] because that's not the way it was supposed to be."

UPDATE: Melville called the maneuver a "victory roll." If Rutan didn't know about it, is Melville going to get "called on the carpet?"

UPDATE: Well now I'm confused, they're calling the roll unexpected. They are going to analyze why they got the roll and it may or may not delay the second flight..