Scaled Composite’s SpaceShipOne rocketed into history today, piloted by veteran test-pilot Mike Melvill, becoming the first civilian-funded craft to enter space, some 62 miles above the earth. How was this historic occassion marked, you ask?

[Pilot] Melvill said once he reached weightlessness, he opened a bag of M&M’s in the cockpit that floated around for three minutes while the ship sailed high above California.

That’s right — M&M’s! Maybe it’s a bit of a crack towards the Mars mission, I really couldn’t say. Either way, it’s a terribly important achievement. I can’t say I ever thought I’d see this day.