Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo disintegrated shortly after the vehicle’s tail stabilizers prematurely deployed, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Friday’s crash killed co-pilot Michael Asbury and injured pilot Peter Siebold. The exact cause of the accident is still unknown, and acting NTSB Chair Christopher A. Hart cautioned against drawing conclusions from the initial findings.
Virgin Galactic
SpaceShipTwo’s third powered flight
This promotional video from Virgin Galactic shows the third powered flight of SpaceShipTwo, which took place Jan. 10, 2014. The vehicle’s feathering system can be seen in action at 1:46.
via SpaceShipTwo Feathering System Prematurely Deployed before Fatal Breakup | The Planetary Society.