A Scottish astronaut who came to worldwide acclaim after helping to build a craft that was sent to outer space has died. Brian Binnie's family announced earlier this week the sad passing of the former US Navy fighter pilot.
Considered to be the 'first Scot in space', he piloted the SpaceShipOne which claimed a $10million prize and reached a peak altitude of 69.6 miles (112km). The craft surpassed the internationally-recognised von Kármán line separating Earth's atmosphere from outer space and broke the record for a winged-craft in 2004.
Brian was born in West Lafayette, Indiana, to his Scottish dad who at the time was a professor of physics at Purdue University. According to Aberdeen Live, the family returned to Scotland when he was five and lived in the Milltimber area of Aberdeen.
He later lived in Stirling before moving to Boston as a teenager but considered himself to be Scottish. Brian was honoured with a degree from the University of Aberdeen in 2006.
He found his love for space after watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, the 1968 film directed by Stanley Kubrick, before watching Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the moon one year later.
In a statement, Brian's family said: "With overwhelming grief, sadness, and sorrow we announce the passing of our beloved Brian.
"Arrangements are being made at this time for Brian’s final resting ceremony to take place at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. We kindly ask for privacy during this time for our family to grieve the loss of our husband, father, brother, and friend.
"More information will be announced as we prepare to celebrate Brian with full military honours and his life as an American hero."
In 2021, Brian self-published "The Magic and Menace of SpaceShipOne: A First-Person History of the World's First Commercial Spaceflights".
He is survived by his wife Bub and their three children, Justin, Jonathan and Jennifer.
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