Astronaut

Mike Melvill

Test pilot

1940 - 2026

EN.WIKIPEDIA PAGE VIEWS (PV)

Photo of Mike Melvill

Icon of person Mike Melvill

His biography is available in 15 different languages on Wikipedia. Mike Melvill is the 355th most popular astronaut (down from 334th in 2024), the 227th most popular biography from South Africa (down from 222nd in 2019) and the most popular South African Astronaut.

Mike Melvill is most famous for piloting SpaceShipOne on the first privately funded human spaceflight in 2004. He became the first licensed commercial astronaut and helped win the Ansari X Prize.

Memorability Metrics

18k

Page Views

Past 12 months

49.66

HPI

Historical Popularity Index

Page views of Mike Melvill by language

Loading...

Among Astronauts

Among astronauts, Mike Melvill ranks 355 out of 556. Before him are Naoko Yamazaki, Reinhold Ewald, Steven Lindsey, Zhai Zhigang, Jerome Apt, and Michael Foale. After him are Helen Sharman, Charles L. Veach, Guy Gardner, Michael R. Clifford, Christopher Ferguson, and Janet L. Kavandi.

Most Popular Astronauts in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1940, Mike Melvill ranks 591. Before him are Fontella Bass, William Ferguson, Peter Ryan, Ellie Greenwich, Otacílio Gonçalves, and István Timár. After him are Carole Ann Ford, Tony Bill, John Hagee, Bill Hunter, Terry Dischinger, and Penelope Coelen. Among people deceased in 2026, Mike Melvill ranks 165. Before him are Nicholas Brendon, Bill Mazeroski, Eddie McCreadie, Doug Moe, James Van Der Beek, and Brad Arnold. After him are T. K. Carter, Terry Yorath, David Malouf, Richard Codey, Bob Weir, and Scott Adams.

Others Born in 1940

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 2026

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In South Africa

Among people born in South Africa, Mike Melvill ranks 227 out of NaN. Before him are William Ferguson (1940), Sid James (1913), Steven Pienaar (1982), Yolandi Visser (1984), Candice Swanepoel (1988), and Patrice Motsepe (1962). After him are Benni McCarthy (1977), Beyers Naudé (1915), Adam Rose (1979), Jerome Damon (1972), Lillian Board (1948), and Louis Hayward (1909).

Others born in South Africa

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among Astronauts In South Africa

Among astronauts born in South Africa, Mike Melvill ranks 1. 

South African born Astronauts

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous
العربية•中文•Nederlands•English•Français•Deutsch•Magyar•Italiano•日本語•Polski•Português•Русский•Español