The president of Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson, said through the company's CEO in an impromptu press conference that the five-year delay in the entry of the spacecraft into private passenger service is mainly due to problems in the development of the engines
For the initial report from tonight on the science website: Second space accident in a week, one dead and one injured in the crashes of Virgin's Spaceship-2 spacecraft planned to fly space tourists
Executives from Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites confirmed that one pilot was killed and the other injured after an anomaly occurred during a test flight of the SpaceShip-2 spacecraft on October 31. The names of the pilots have not yet been released.
During a hasty press conference, the officials said that the launch of the White Knight 2 aircraft that carried the spacecraft occurred at 09:20 local time and at 10:10 it released the spacecraft at the edge of the atmosphere. Two minutes later Spaceship-2 encountered an anomaly. The officials had nothing to say as to the immediate cause of the malfunction, but the main suspicion falls on the rocket engine. The normal rocket engine was operated in four previous flights, but in this flight a solid fuel rocket filled with thermoset plastic, similar to nylon, was tested for the first time - made its maiden flight.
The journalists' party was attended by the CEO of Scaled Composite Kevin Mickey, the CEO of Virgin Caltech George Whitesides and the director of the Mojave Air and Space Port, Stu White. They emphasized that the engine and the fuel underwent thorough tests on the ground and they were confident in the readiness of the components to take part in the test flight.
Within seconds of release, Spaceship-2's engines were ignited so that it could fly. Two minutes of ignition is enough for the spaceship to gain height and speed. The pilots did not wear pressure suits but only masks that provided them with additional oxygen. At an altitude of 50 feet the conditions are similar to the conditions of space. The fluids in the human body begin to boil - that is, they turn from liquid to gas. At the speed of the jet stream, any breakage or ejection may cause the loss of the masks and the oxygen they provide.
The Scaled Composite company did not answer the journalists' questions at what height the accident occurred. Based on the time of the accident - two minutes after the engines were raised, the craft could have been at an altitude of anywhere between 40 feet (12 km) and 200 feet (60 km). It is more likely that because it was the first flight with nylon-based fuel, the engine was not activated at full power and therefore the spacecraft did not reach maximum altitude.
Spaceship-2 does not have escape seats, but it is equipped with escape hatches. The vehicle is compressed into air for the pilots and the paying customers. It has not yet been determined whether the test pilots managed to escape through the hatches or were thrown from the vehicle after it disintegrated in the air.
Test pilots wear parachutes according to the standard. Spaceship-2 was no different. Moreover, paying attention to the flight conditions and escaping from the aircraft at such a height it is likely that the parachutes will be activated automatically on the assumption that the pilots will become unconscious.
"We know that one of the team members met the rescuers and is being treated at the scene and transported to Antelope Valley Hospital," Witt said at the press conference. "We also know that we have one dead."
During the press conference, representatives of the two companies expressed concern about the condition of the injured pilot. Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composite operating out of the Mojave Desert are one cohesive bunch and every death is a personal loss for each team member. The officials emphasized again that "space is a hard place", a quote first uttered by President Kennedy during his famous speech at Rice University. These words were echoed earlier this week when Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket exploded seconds after launch. In this case, heavy damage was caused, mainly due to the loss of the cargo spacecraft to the space station. The CEO of Scaled Composite emphasized during the press conference that they remain determined and committed to developing private manned flights to space, and they will do so now in memory of the fallen pilot and in honor of the pilot fighting for his life.
An official investigation into the accident has now begun, involving the Federal Aviation Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB). Investigating these types of accidents can take months. Scaled Composite, which was actually responsible and the owner of the flight systems, will investigate and check the telemetry data and it will be required to decide whether to continue with engines similar to the one that failed or switch to another solid fuel. Sir Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin Group, including Virgin Galactic, said that the company is five years behind schedule and most of the delay is due to problems in the development of the engines. Branson is expected to arrive at the arena during the day (Saturday).
As is well known, Branson declares at every opportunity in order to emphasize his concern for safety, that he and his family members will fly on the first commercial flight of the Spaceship-2 spacecraft.
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Right on the edge of the event, the connection of the digital currency Bitcoin to space flight is interesting:
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The US commercialized space exploration and canceled space programs. Last week 2 private spaceships crashed.
Against Russia, China and India manage to launch spacecraft and even to Mars.
Isn't a home inspection required in the biggest power in the world. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, they were the standard bearers of the dream to reach other planets and settle in them. Kennedy put it well.
Let's say they overcome childhood diseases and succeed in commercializing space. Will there be space barons then? Mars will belong to such. It is not better for a state to rule a colony..
I personally believe that it is true that NASA as a public company has reached an excess of consumption and the absence of profit, but it is possible to trade through a company the spiritual Kinio. If other powers reach Mars, the Mars colony will belong to them. So a lot of NASA's intellectual property will return the investment in renewable energy, renewable water, ultra-high weight-to-energy food, artificial intelligence for robotic vehicles, solar cells, integration of projects on Earth.