Virgin Galactic Spaceship Crashes, One Pilot Reported Dead
A sad day for world efforts in Space.
#SpaceShipTwo has experienced an in-flight anomaly. Additional info and statement forthcoming.
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) October 31, 2014
Back in Mojave now. Ss2 had trouble with engine burn, blew up, came down in pieces near Koehn Lake.
— Parabolicarc.com (@spacecom) October 31, 2014
We drove to one of the debris sites. Debris from the ship was scattered all over the road. @VirginGalactic #SpaceShipTwo
— Parabolicarc.com (@spacecom) October 31, 2014
#SpaceShipTwo UPDATE: Rescue crew seen carrying person on stretcher to chopper http://t.co/AJFLHsYm8L pic.twitter.com/MJaFy0clTw
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 31, 2014
Thoughts with all @virgingalactic & Scaled, thanks for all your messages of support. I’m flying to Mojave immediately to be with the team.
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) October 31, 2014
A spacecraft for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Ltd. tourism operator crashed during a test flight in California’s Mojave Desert, and CNBC reported that one of two pilots was killed.
The second pilot was injured, according to CNBC, which cited local police. Television images today showed wreckage from Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo on the desert floor. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating.
Ground controllers lost contact with SpaceShipTwo just after 10 a.m. local time following the ship’s release from the jet that carried it aloft, an FAA spokesman, Lynn Lunsford, said in a statement. The carrier aircraft remained airborne after the incident, the FAA said.
“We will work closely with relevant authorities to determine the cause of this accident and provide updates ASAP,” Virgin Galactic said today in a message posted on its Twitter feed.
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