LOS ANGELES - A private spacecraft,SpaceShipOne, briefly entered space above the California desert, completing the first of two qualifying flights for the $10 million X Prize. There were some frightening moments on the way up, but the craft glided safely to a landing.

This was the second time the small craft and pilot Mike Melvill broke through the 100-kilometer limit that marks the beginning of space. June 21, he earned a record as the world's first private astronaut. This time, Mr. Melvill completed the first of two flights for the Ansari X Prize.

The ship rolled repeatedly on its ascent, but pilot Melvill regained control to complete the entry into space and descent to a desert airport.

The combination rocketship and glider was created by Burt Rutan, the famed aerospace designer. It was carried aloft just after dawn beneath a carrier airplane, then released to fire its rocket.

Teams from 26 countries are competing for the X Prize. A Canadian team has postponed a planned October 2 launch, and Mr. Rutan's team hopes to clinch the prize in its second qualifying flight, which is scheduled for Monday.

X Prize rules require that the spacecraft carry the weight of two passengers to demonstrate it can ferry tourists into space. The tourists will come later. For now, the additional 180 kilograms came from mementos from those involved with the mission, including photographs, the autobiography of air pioneer Charles Lindbergh, and Burt Rutan's slide rule calculator from college.