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Virgin Galactic spaceship crashes during California test flight
msn ^ | Irene Klotz

Posted on 10/31/2014 12:10:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin

CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS ONE PERSON KILLED, ONE INJURED IN CRASH OF VIRGIN GALACTIC SPACECRAFT IN MOJAVE DESERT -CNN, CNBC

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for further updates. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct 31 (Reuters) - A suborbital passenger spaceship being developed by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic crashed during a test flight on Friday at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, officials said. Two pilots were aboard the spaceship, which was undergoing its first powered test flight since January. It was not immediately known if they were able to parachute to safety.

More than 800 people have paid or put down deposits to fly aboard the spaceship, which is carried to an altitude of about 45,000 feet and released. The spaceship then fires its rocket motor to catapult it to about 62 miles (100 km) high, giving passengers a view of the planet set against the blackness of space and a few minutes of weightlessness.

The spaceship is based on a prototype, called SpaceShipOne, which 10 years ago won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for the first privately developed manned spacecraft to fly in space.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: US: California
KEYWORDS: burtrutan; charlesmay; ericblackwell; kerncounty; mojavedesert; richardbranson; scaledcomposites; spaceshiptwo; toddivens; virgingalactic
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1 posted on 10/31/2014 12:10:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

So...is the deposit refundable?


2 posted on 10/31/2014 12:11:44 PM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: BenLurkin

I might ask for my money back.


3 posted on 10/31/2014 12:12:10 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: who knows what evil?; All

Earlier thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3221770/posts


4 posted on 10/31/2014 12:13:09 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

I’ll say it again - SpaceX rockets haven’t crashed.


5 posted on 10/31/2014 12:13:18 PM PDT by wastedyears (I may be stupid, but at least I'm not Darwin Awards stupid.)
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To: BenLurkin

Not a good week for private spaceflight....


6 posted on 10/31/2014 12:13:22 PM PDT by apillar
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To: BenLurkin

Never ride in a virgin galactic spaceship. Better to go with an experienced one.


7 posted on 10/31/2014 12:13:30 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: wastedyears

Keep the Russians away from them


8 posted on 10/31/2014 12:13:58 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

There’s something about the word ‘spaceship’ that sounds very juvenile.


9 posted on 10/31/2014 12:15:45 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: BenLurkin

Regrettable, but pushing the aerospace envelope can be a dangerous activity. These things will happen.


10 posted on 10/31/2014 12:17:51 PM PDT by -YYZ- (Strong like bull, smart like tractor.)
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To: BenLurkin

What gets me is that they were careful, pushing the envelope in small increments. Not amateurs, in any way.

And still.

Waiting for the inevitable “space is not for cowards” comment.

Eyes are shifting to Elon Musk.


11 posted on 10/31/2014 12:19:46 PM PDT by cicero2k
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To: BenLurkin
Zounds! Spaceman spiff crashes!


12 posted on 10/31/2014 12:20:13 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Not all Muslims are terrorists but all Muslims are potential terrorists.)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

I think someone got killed today.


13 posted on 10/31/2014 12:20:50 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

This project seems to have a lot of problems and is taking a relatively long time after initial success.


14 posted on 10/31/2014 12:21:16 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: BenLurkin

If its broken it isn’t a virgin anymore...
just saying
Freegards
LEX


15 posted on 10/31/2014 12:21:19 PM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: who knows what evil?

That might be a good idea. I don’t think there’s a way for the passengers to safely escape if something goes wrong, just like the Space Shuttle.


16 posted on 10/31/2014 12:24:03 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: SpaceBar

But spaceship is such an awesome word.


17 posted on 10/31/2014 12:24:22 PM PDT by wastedyears (I may be stupid, but at least I'm not Darwin Awards stupid.)
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To: apillar

Why are we having an aircraft of some sort go down everyday?


18 posted on 10/31/2014 12:24:31 PM PDT by Faith-Hope
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To: Faith-Hope

Why are we having an aircraft of some sort go down everyday?


Who is John Galt?


19 posted on 10/31/2014 12:25:13 PM PDT by OwenKellogg (Fundamental transformation leads to ... ebola and vomitus for all!)
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To: BenLurkin
Guardian reports:

1 dead,
1 "Serious" injury.

Cause:
"Serious anomaly." IOW, "don't know yet."

(Wild Ass Guess) Not that great a body of fatigue data on this composite stuff quite yet, and the thing has been flying with rocket power for well over a year..

20 posted on 10/31/2014 12:31:49 PM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Is it not one's Christian duty to vote?)
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