A VIRGIN Galactic spaceship has crashed – killing the co-pilot and leaving the
pilot seriously injured.
Brit tycoon Sir Richard Branson’s SpaceShipTwo suffered a “serious anomaly”
during the test flight in California.
One witness described how the craft exploded in flight above the Mojave Desert
before debris plummeted to the ground.
It crashed after firing its rocket following a high-altitude drop from the
Virgin Galactic mothership.
The co-pilot was killed in the catastrophe – while the pilot, who ejected, was
injured and taken to hospital.
TV pictures showed wreckage bearing the Virgin logo from the spacecraft –
which took off at 9.19am local time – strewn across the barren desert floor.
The firm was testing a new type of fuel, according to one retired astronaut.
In a statement, Virgin said: “During the test, the vehicle suffered a
serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle.
“We will work closely with relevant authorities to determine the cause of
this accident and provide updates as soon as we are able to do so.”
A spokeswoman for America’s Federal Aviation Administration said: “Just after
10am PDT today, ground controllers at the Mojave Spaceport lost contact with
SpaceShipTwo, an experimental space flight vehicle.
“The incident occurred over the Mojave Desert shortly after the space flight
vehicle separated from WhiteKnightTwo, the vehicle that carried it aloft.
“Two crew members were on board SpaceShipTwo at the time of the incident.
WhiteKnightTwo remained airborne after the incident. The FAA is
investigating.”
The passenger spaceship was undergoing its first powered test flight since
January.
The White Knight 2 mothership landed safely following the accident, Virgin
Galactic said.
During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of SpaceShipTwo. WK2 landed safely. (2 of 4)
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic)
Our first concern is the status of the pilots, which is unknown at this time. (3 of 4)
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic)
Virgin Galactic aims to begin rocketing tourists to the edge of space next
year.
More than 800 people have booked to fly aboard the space plane, which is
carried to an altitude of about 45,000 feet and released.
The spaceship then fires its rocket motor to catapult it 62 miles above the
Earth, giving passengers a stunning view of the planet and a few minutes of
weightlessness.
The accident comes just days after a
rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded following lift-off
from its spaceport in Virginia.
