Patricia G. Smith, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the FAA, presents SpaceShipOne pilot Micheal Melvill the department's first commercial astronaut wings

Commercial Astronaut Badge

Commercial Astronaut is a title, awarded by United States' Federal Aviation Administration to those civilian pilots and crew members on-board an FAA-licensed launch vehicle on a flight that exceeds 50 miles altitude[1]. There are two Commercial Astronauts to date: Michael Melvill and Brian Binnie. FAA Astronaut Badge This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... FAA Astronaut Badge This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...   FAA redirects here. ... SpaceShipOne test pilot Mike Melvill Michael W. Melvill (born November 1941) is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites. ... SpaceShipOne test pilot Brian Binnie Brian Binnie is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites. ...