Airgas recently offered congratulations to its customer, Scaled Composites for its part in the world' first private manned space flight on June 21, 2004.
Airgas provided nitrous oxide used in the propulsion and other industrial and specialty gases used in the design of the rocket. The company selected nitrous oxide for oxidation, instead of the industry standard of liquid oxygen, since it eliminated the need for complicated turbo pumps or plumbing to move the oxidizer into the oxidizer tank.
Airgas also provided Scaled Composites with industrial and specialty gases, including air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and UHP Nitrogen, along with gas regulators and fittings for managing the gas supply.
SpaceShipOne was the first non-governmental flight to leave the Earth' atmosphere. The aircraft reached a record-breaking altitude of 328,491 feet (approximately 62 miles).
