Virgin Galatic crashes, kills pilot

[ratcatcher]

At least one person is dead and another injured after Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo space tourism craft crashed in the California desert.

The craft was flying a manned test when it experienced what the company described as "a serious anomaly".

It was undergoing its first powered test flight since January over the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles.

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson tweeted he was flying to California "to be with the team".

"Thoughts with all @virgingalactic & Scaled, thanks for all your messages of support," Sir Richard said.

Both pilots were employed by Scaled Composites. One was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition.

Television images shot from a helicopter showed what appeared to be wreckage bearing the Virgin logo. Officials have said the debris is currently strewn over a large area.

In a statement, Virgin Galactic said the "vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of SpaceShipTwo".

The aircraft that held the spaceship, known as White Knight 2, has landed safely, Virgin Galactic said.

Sir Richard said his thoughts are with the team

Ken Brown, a photographer who witnessed the crash, said the craft exploded after it was released from a plane that carries it to a high altitude.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board will begin their work on Saturday morning to investigate the cause of the accident, which will likely take several days.

"We are going to be supporting the investigation as we figure out what happened today," said George Whitesides, chief executive of Virgin Galactic.

"The future rests in many ways on hard days like this but we believe we owe it to the folks who were flying these vehicles as well as the folks working so hard on this to understand this and move forward."

 

Analysis: David Shukman, BBC science editor

Even as details emerge of what went wrong, this is clearly a massive setback to a company hoping to pioneer a new industry of space tourism. Confidence is everything and this will not encourage the long list of celebrity and millionaire customers waiting for their first flight.

An innovative design for a spacecraft combined with a new type of rocket motor to make the development challenge exceptionally hard. Despite an endless series of delays to its spacecraft, Virgin Galactic has over the years managed to maintain some very optimistic public relations and positive media coverage.

I interviewed Sir Richard Branson when he first announced the venture and his enthusiasm and determination were undoubted. But his most recent promises of launching the first passenger trip by the end of this year had already started to look unrealistic some months ago.

Today's accident will delay plans even further. Space is never easy, and making it routine is even harder.

[Bjornebye]

How the fuck is the other one only injured?!

[RoboRiise]

Surprising that.  Scaled Composites, the company who designed and manufactured both the ship itself and the launch ship, started years ago as a company making homebuild aircraft but they're not a backyard operation - they have done a lot of contracted out work on assorted defence projects working with the likes of Boeing, Northrop and Lockheed.

 

Having said that, test flying is inherently dangerous - doesn't sound like a pilot error though if the thing has exploded right after being released, more like some catastrophic mechanical failure.

 

Edit: According to Wiki, they changed the fuel type in May this year.  It hadn't flown for 9 months before this test, so it was the first flight with the new fuel.  Seems a fair bet that's what caused it.

 

 

How the fuck is the other one only injured?!

 

The pilots punched out.

[Bjornebye]

Surprising that.  Scaled Composites, the company who designed and manufactured both the ship itself and the launch ship, started years ago as a company making homebuild aircraft but they're not a backyard operation - they have done a lot of contracted out work on assorted defence projects working with the likes of Boeing, Northrop and Lockheed.

 

Having said that, test flying is inherently dangerous - doesn't sound like a pilot error though if the thing has exploded right after being released, more like some catastrophic mechanical failure.

 

Edit: According to Wiki, they changed the fuel type in May this year.  It hadn't flown for 9 months before this test, so it was the first flight with the new fuel.  Seems a fair bet that's what caused it.

 

 

 

The pilots punched out.

 

I assume you mean ejected. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Space is dangerous, even if I had the money I would not be lining up to take one of these flights when they become commercial. 

[RoboRiise]

I assume you mean ejected. 

 

I didn't specifically say ejected simply because I don't know if the thing actually has ejector seats but either way the reports say parachutes were seen so regardless of the specific method of exit they got the fuck out of Dodge, which I have to admit would seem to have been the prudent choice in the circumstances.

[Section_31]

Not very good at this Branson is he? Wasn't his balloon always crashing? He's like a really shit Bond villain.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Not very good at this Branson is he? Wasn't his balloon always crashing? He's like a really shit Bond villain.

He's still trying to catch Penelope Pittstop. 

[Jairzinho]

I wish he'd catch Malaria.

[Anubis]

Even Tony Stark had difficulty solving the build-up of ice. And Branson is no Tony Stark.

[Bjornebye]

I didn't specifically say ejected simply because I don't know if the thing actually has ejector seats but either way the reports say parachutes were seen so regardless of the specific method of exit they got the fuck out of Dodge, which I have to admit would seem to have been the prudent choice in the circumstances.

 

I'd have had a wank and said goodbye to me nan 

[RoboRiise]

I'd have had a wank and said goodbye to me nan 

 

I think I'd have yelled 'smoke me a kipper I'll be back for breakfast' over the radio and then embraced the great unknown.

[Elite]

Another Virgin fucked.

[Stickman]

Looking at that picture that Branson is one big fuckker...

[General Dryness]

I'd have had a wank and said goodbye to me nan 

 

You wouldn't be the first.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Aliens shot them down. Saw what was going on and thought 'there's enough smug in the universe without that beardy cunt up here too'

[VladimirIlyich]

This is more confirmation that Branson is now just Virgin on the ridiculous.

[Dr Nowt]

If 'Branson's Pickle' isn't a headline in at least one red top, I want to know why.

[dickie mint]

Space is dangerous, even if I had the money I would not be lining up to take one of these flights when they become commercial.

 

[dickie mint]

 

Space is dangerous, even if I had the money I would not be lining up to take one of these flights when they become commercial.

 

 

Have you just been watching Star trek mate sounds like a captain Kirk quote.

[xerxes]

Another case  of a virgin not going all the way.

[Anubis]

Have you just been watching Star trek mate sounds like a captain Kirk quote.

 

More like McCoy.

 

 

[VladimirIlyich]

Another case of a virgin not going all the way.

It didnt even get to first base.

[Jairzinho]

It didnt even get to first base.

 

I think you'll find the back door is well and truly smashed in.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Have you just been watching Star trek mate sounds like a captain Kirk quote.

I have not watched Star Trek since I was a kid mate, I preferred the originals.