Expired News - Virgin Galactic's SpaceshipTwo explodes in midair test flight; one pilot reported dead - The Weather Network
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One pilot is reported dead and the other with serious injuries after Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket plane exploded just moments into a test flight over the Mojave Desert Friday morning.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceshipTwo explodes in midair test flight; one pilot reported dead


Scott Sutherland
Meteorologist/Science Writer

Friday, October 31, 2014, 3:47 PM - Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo sub-orbital rocket has reportedly crashed during a powered test flight over the Mojave Desert on Friday.

The powered test flight had just begun, at shortly after 10 a.m. Pacific Time, when SpaceShipTwo was released from its WhiteKnightTwo (WKT) 'mothership' to fly freely for the 35th time since testing of the plane began. However, as the pilots engaged the plane's primary rocket engine, it suffered what the company referred to in a statement as an "in-flight anomaly."

"Virgin Galactic’s partner Scaled Composites conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier today. During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. Our first concern is the status of the pilots, which is unknown at this time. We will work closely with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident and provide updates as soon as we are able to do so."

According to SpaceFlight Now, witnesses on the scene reported seeing parachutes in the air, but the status of the two pilots that were on board during the test was, at first, unknown.

Credit: Virgin Galactic

The latest word though, via the Associated Press, is that the California Highway Patrol has reported one fatality in the crash, while the other pilot suffered serious injuries and is being air-lifted to hospital by helicopter.

Virgin's SpaceShipTwo is a rocket-powered plane that is designed to make sub-orbital passenger flights a reality. Taking off from from a standard runway, linked to it's WhiteKnightTwo (WKT) 'mothership', the SpaceShipTwo is meant to reach the edge of space before coming back down to Earth for a runway landing at its destination. This flight path means that the plane can fly at supersonic speeds, significantly cutting travel times for intercontinental flights.

The company reported on its Twitter account that it would work closely with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of this accident and provide updates, as soon as possible.

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