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Second Spaceship Crash In One Week: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Suffers "In-Flight Anomaly" - Live Feed

Tyler Durden's picture
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 10/31/2014 14:25 -0400



 

Possibly good news:

Not so good news:

The bad news:

For the second time in a week, a vessel due to go to space has crashed. As SpaceFlightNow reports, Virgin Galactic is reporting its SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket plane experienced an “in-flight anomaly” on a powered test flight over California’s Mojave Desert on Friday. Two pilots were believed to be aboard SpaceShipTwo, according to the scanner discussion. SpaceShipTwo test flights customarily carry two pilots.

Live Feed:

AP provides some background:

Latest update:

 

 

 

Wikipedia describes the vessel's propulsion system as:

The hybrid rocket engine design for SpaceShipTwo has been problematic and caused extensive delays to the flight test program. The original rocket motor design was based on hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) fuel and nitrous oxide oxidizer – sometimes referred to as an N2O/HTPB engine[27][28] – from 2009–early 2014. In May 2014, the engine design was switched from a HTPB to a polyamide fuel formulation.

As KGET10 reports,

SpaceShipTwo, the Virgin Galactic space plane, has crashed east of Mojave, according to the director of the Mojave Air and Space Port Stu Witt.

Witt said a 2 p.m. news conference has been scheduled, and no further details will be available until then.

Via SpaceFlightNow,

Virgin Galactic is reporting its SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket plane experienced an “in-flight anomaly” on a powered test flight over California’s Mojave Desert on Friday.

 

 

The anomaly apparently occurred after the space plane fired its rocket motor following a high-altitude drop from Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

 

Scanner traffic from local first responders indicated wreckage from a crashed aircraft in the area. Reports say parachutes were spotted in the air.

 

Two pilots were believed to be aboard SpaceShipTwo, according to the scanner discussion. SpaceShipTwo test flights customarily carry two pilots.

 

The suborbital spacecraft was making its first powered flight since January and was testing a redesigned rocket motor.

 

Virgin Galactic, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, was aiming to complete qualification of the rocket-powered plane in time to begin space tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

 

Slung beneath the WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane, the spacecraft took off at 9:19 a.m. PDT (12:19 p.m. EDT; 1619 GMT) from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The takeoff was delayed more than three hours to wait for bad weather to clear the area.

 

The test flight was the 55th flight of the SpaceShipTwo vehicle, and the craft’s 35th free  flight. It was the fourth time SpaceShipTwo had fired up its rocket motor in flight, and the first powered mission since Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites, the craft’s builder, switched from a rubber-based propellant to a plastic-based fuel mix.

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Fri, 10/31/2014 - 16:06 | 5399593 Bunga Bunga
Bunga Bunga's picture

Clear evidence, that is was Putin's fault.

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 16:11 | 5399613 jimcg
jimcg's picture

Anyone know who, if anyone, insures something like this? Didn't notice any of the usual suspect insurers getting hammered today. Just wondering....

J

 

 

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 16:22 | 5399654 Infinite QE
Infinite QE's picture

Branson should know better. Halloween is always a sacrificial event day for the dark fucks who run things.

Plus do these oligarchs really believe that they will let to roam around space and discover the black-ops interstellar craft that are already in existence? I mean look to Kubrick for what he discovered. And how he was rewarded.

 

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 16:22 | 5399656 trip kitchen
trip kitchen's picture

"In May 2014, the engine design was switched from an HTPB to a polyamide fuel formation"

 

I have no idea what that means, but I'm thinking that's key to what happened.  Probably needed more thrust from the engine, and failed to upgrade a related component or sub assembly.  Being a pioneer can be a bitch sometimes.  Best wishes to all involved.

In another reality, what's the deal with all those huge triangular UFOs that are always being reported?  No noise, apparent anti-gravity propulsion.  If that shits for real, why are they even bothering with this back yard technology?

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 16:43 | 5399714 Fuku Ben
Fuku Ben's picture

Sabotage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSNFfT4yXEE

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 16:48 | 5399722 falak pema
falak pema's picture

Yucca flats, where the US conducted nuclear tests that allegedly led to John Wayne's death (along with 90 others who made that movie The Conqueror), is only 100 miles away from Mojave desert. 

Its a bit like the Bermuda triangle for spooky things to happen. So, if you be a haloween spooky queen denier there is much work to dig up.

Did John Wayne's ghost shoot down that plane like it were an avatar of Liberty Valance ? 

I'd print that legend, it has the makings of a blockbuster! 

Branson gets branded by John Wayne in Mojave disaster ! 

What a galactic shoot out! Talk about the walking dead! 

 

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 17:21 | 5399785 Bumbu Sauce
Bumbu Sauce's picture

Prayers for the lost's family and for the surviving pilot.

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 18:04 | 5399888 tony wilson
tony wilson's picture

just seen the video

my eyes wide shut

another fake crash shite

sin bulls

numericals

kaabalala la la la

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 21:22 | 5400447 Vendetta
Vendetta's picture

Condolences to family and friends for their loss -signed a flight test engineer

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 23:41 | 5400859 Bemused Observer
Bemused Observer's picture

We just aren't ready for travel beyond our world. And the rest of the universe isn't ready for us.

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!