Virgin spaceship’s descent system deployed early
LOS ANGELES: A space tourism rocket broke apart in flight over California’s Mojave Desert after a device to slow the experimental spaceship’s descent deployed too soon, federal investigators said.
The cause of Friday’s crash of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo has not been determined, but investigators found the “feathering” system — which rotates the tail to create drag — was activated before the craft reached the appropriate speed, National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Christopher Hart said.
The system requires a two-step process to deploy. The co-pilot unlocked the system, but Hart said the second step occurred “without being commanded.” “What we know is that after it was unlocked, the feathers moved into the deploy position, and two seconds later we saw disintegration,” Hart said.
The finding moves away from initial speculation that an explosion brought down the craft but still doesn’t fully explain why the disaster occurred.
The investigation is months from being completed, and officials are looking possible factors including pilot error, mechanical failure, design and whether pressure existed to continue testing, Hart said.
“We are not edging toward anything, we’re not ruling anything out,” he said. “We are looking at all these issues to determine the root cause of this accident.” The copilot, Michael Alsbury, 39, was killed, while pilot Peter Siebold, 43, parachuted to the ground and is receiving treatment at a hospital for serious injuries.
Investigators have not interviewed the pilot because of his medical condition, Hart said.
Virgin Galactic — owned by billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Aabar Investments PJS of Abu Dhabi — plans to fly passengers more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth.