MOJAVE, Oct 4: The world's first privately funded manned spacecraft soared through the blue fringe of Earth's atmosphere to the blackened frontiers of space on Monday for the second time within a week to win a 10 million dollars prize designed to spur commercial space travel.

Space Ship One, a stubby, three-seat rocket plane about the size of a minivan, hurtled to a height of 112,000 metres travelling at more than three times the speed of sound and surpassing its target altitude without the heart-stopping barrel rolls that vexed the craft's qualifying flight on Wednesday.

"We are proud to announce that Space Ship One has made two flights to 100kms and has won the Ansari X Prize," Peter Diamand is, founder of the X Prize, announced to reporters at Mojave airport. The craft safely glided back to the Mojave Airport for a textbook landing, greeted by cheers from thousands of spectators gathered beside the runway. -AFP