SpaceShipTwo

SpaceShipTwo 'Pilot Was Thrown From The Vehicle' High In Atmosphere

5:50pm July 29, 2015

by Bill Chappell

SpaceShipTwo broke apart soon after it reached supersonic speeds and an altitude of around 50,000 feet. Its pilot says his parachute opened in a "gentlemanly" fashion, after he had fallen for a while.

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SpaceShipTwo crashed in the Mojave Desert in California on Oct. 31. The co-pilot was killed.

Human Error Caused Virgin Galactic Crash, Investigators Say

4:02pm July 28, 2015

by Lucy Perkins

SpaceShipTwo broke apart during an October test flight because the co-pilot unlocked a section of the spaceship's tail too early, the National Transportation and Safety Board announced.

The unique folding tail section of the Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo may have been a factor in the crash.

National

Even After SpaceShipTwo Crash, Many Space Tourists Hold On To Tickets

2:56pm November 07, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Virgin Galactic says there have been some cancellations in the week since its experimental craft went down, killing the co-pilot. But many ticket holders say they don't plan to ask for refunds.

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Wreckage lies near the site where a Virgin Galactic space tourism rocket, SpaceShipTwo, exploded and crashed in Mojave, Calif.

Key Function Deployed Early Before SpaceShipTwo's Crash

7:37am November 03, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

The Virgin Galactic spacecraft deployed a "feathering" system, designed to help it descend back to Earth, was deployed too early. The crash killed one pilot and injured another.