ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />Virgin Galactic's passenger spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo, completed its first rocket-powered flight Monday (April 29) morning above the Mojave Desert in California, breaking the sound barrier in the process.<br/> <br />About 45 minutes into the flight, SpaceShipTwo was released from its carrier craft, WhiteKnightTwo. Ignition of the rocket motor was triggered, carrying SpaceShipTwo to a maximum altitude of 56,000 feet. During the 16-second engine burn, the spaceship broke the sound barrier, according to a statement from Virgin Galactic.<br/> <br />The rocket-powered portion of the flight lasted a little more than 10 minutes, and the entire flight took about an hour. The flight was not a space flight. Virgin Galactic said it will continue testing this year and plans to reach full space flight by the end of 2013.<br/> <br />The six-passenger, two-pilot spacecraft is based on the prototype SpaceShipOne.<br/> <br />More than 500 would-be space tourists have already signed
