CALIFORNIA: A privately-built manned spacecraft has reached a record altitude of 212,000 ft over California. SpaceShipOne was built by aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan who hopes to win the Ansari X-prize of $10m for the first private flight into space. The craft has to reach an altitude of 329,000 ft twice in three weeks to win — and is expected to do so next month. Twenty-five other teams across the world are competing for the prize.