Note : This is a acquire story and the article may alter with extra selective information .
Earlier today , an “ in - trajectory anomaly ” during a mental test flight of SpaceShipTwo , an air - launched space plane by Virgin Galactic , ended with the spaceplane go down near the Mojave Air and Space Port in California . Two pilots were inside the vessel during the flight . California Highway Patrol hasconfirmedone of the pilots has died , and the other has been injure . The surviving pilot was airlifted from the shot to a local infirmary with severe injuries , though the status is not presently known . The crowd ’s kin have been notified , but the pilots ’ name and historic period have not been expel to the world .
SpaceShipTwo was lifted by the carrier plane WhiteKnightTwo . The distich took off from the runway at 9:19 am PDT . Once the two reached 15.24 kilometers ( 50,000 feet ) , SpaceShipTwo was unblock around 10:10 am PDT , with the anomaly occurring two minutes later . WhiteKnightTwo landed safely , though there has been no comment on what that pilot may or may not have ascertain during the time .
SpaceShipTwo had successfully completed an unpowered , gliding flight on October 7 . Earlier this year , Virgin Galactic reformulate the fuel in an effort to give the space plane more power . The motor has been through four powered flight tests before . This was a first test for the fuel mixture in a powered air examination , though it had been tested many clip on the terra firma with no problems .
PHOTOS : Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo accidenthttp://t.co/NONMPVCMrWpic.twitter.com/kO5i5aWzN4
— ABC7 Eyewitness News ( @ABC7)October 31 , 2014
Today ’s events will bear upon the commercial plan for SpaceShipTwo . The spaceplane was designed to give paying customers a drive to sub - orbital space , with the first rider expected to countermand off in 2015 . However , it is not currently known how much today ’s setback will affect that timeline .
Tickets for the rides will cost $ 250,000 , and hundreds of deposits have already been taken . Somenoteworthyticket holders admit Stephen Hawking , Brad Pitt , Angelina Jolie , Leonardo DiCaprio , and Katy Perry .
Debris from Virgin Galactic’s#SpaceShipTwofollowing accident in Mojave Deserthttp://t.co/iPFykUL9XFpic.twitter.com/r07Ps7SKB9
Update : 1:30 promethium MST : Joel Glenn Brenner , a former reporter with personal tie to the pilots , gave ascathing statementon CNN claiming that even if the test flying test had been successful and the pilot film ’s life history had not been “ stolen ” , the railway locomotive in the SpaceShipTwo never would have been able to make it to space . According to Brenner , there was too big of a gap between their ambitiousness and existing technology .
“ They took this original ’s life , and that engine still would not have gotten client to space , ” Brenner said . “ And I want mass to know that now . ”
However , somehave criticized Brenner for making untimely accusations about Virgin Galactic ’s capabilities , and are await for the prescribed report before specify rap .
Update 2:30 pm MST : Stuart Witt , master executive at the Mojave Air and Space Port verbalise at a jam group discussion this afternoon alongside Virgin Galactic ’s chief operating officer George Whitesides , President of Scaledd Composites Kevin Mickey , and representatives of the Kern County Fire and Sheriff ’s section . There was no speculation about the cause of the anomaly and subsequent crash .
Each verbalizer showed gratitude to the first responder who were stand up by during the trajectory test and swiftly took action following the crash . The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to come Saturday morning to begin the investigation and facilitate determine a secret plan design going ahead .
Witt spoke of the inherent endangerment that come from this character of data-based work , and how the hoi polloi who do it are very enthusiastic about their jobs . These types of situations are n’t easy
“ Stay the class . This business enterprise is worthy business , ” he urge on young hoi polloi moving up through the ranks . “ Get involved , be inquisitive . [ It is a ] do far greater than any one of us individually . ” He equated commercial-grade space travel to Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigating the earth in 1524 .
George Whitesides add together that the “ primary thoughts are with the gang and menage and we ’re doing everything we can for them now . ” He also notice that billionaire Richard Branson , Virgin Galactic ’s founding father , was en route to Mojave and is expected to arrive early Saturday .
“ Space is hard and today was a tough day , ” Whitesides continued . “ We are become to be stand the investigation as we figure out what happened today and we ’re going to get through it . The succeeding rest , in many ways , on difficult years like this . But we believe we owe it to the folks who were pilot these vehicles … to move forward . ”
