Remarkable flown ‘Red Bearon’ Beanie Baby flown aboard flight 17P of SpaceShipOne by Brian Binnie on October 4, 2004. The limited edition Ty Beanie Baby, with birth date on December 17, 2003, and serial no. 08421-40039, is the only Beanie Baby flown aboard SpaceShipOne. Applied to the back of the bear is a label reading, “Flown in Space,” marked in black felt tip: “17P.” This flight achieved an world altitude record of 367,442 feet, or 69.6 miles above the surface of the Earth. Flown for the Rocketboosters charity after being donated by Burt and Tonya Rutan as a gift, this bear represents one of just three SpaceShipOne flown items made available to the public, as personal memorabilia that was flown on the mission cannot be sold.
Accompanied by a notarized letter of authenticity signed by Burt and Tonya Rutan stating “Bearon…was a passenger on SpaceShipOne Flight 17P flown by Brian Binnie on Monday, October 4, 2004…Flown on SpaceShipOne at the request of the Rocket Boosters, a non-profit organization.” Also includes: a color glossy 10 x 8 photo of SpaceShipOne pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie, signed by both in black felt tip; five color photos of Bearon outside and inside of the ship; the original 2004 eBay auction listing; and another informational sheet, which incorporates a photo of Bearon and two other plush dolls being loaded into a composite ballast box before the flight. A one-of-a-kind and well-documented flight-flown memento.
