. 24/7 Space News .
ROCKET SCIENCE
Mechanisms are Critical to All Space Vehicles
by Staff Writers for Launchspace
Bethesda, MD (SPX) Jan 17, 2019

File image of the Virgin Galactic test vehicle crash in 2014

About three years ago the National Transportation Safety Board announced its finding regarding the Virgin Galactic crash that occurred on October 31, 2014. The simple explanation was that the co-pilot unlocked a critical vehicle mechanism too early. After a nine-month investigation the NTSB further concluded that human error and inadequate safety procedures caused the violent crash.

The vehicle was named the VSS Enterprise, or more precisely, Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo experimental test vehicle. This spacecraft suffered a catastrophic in-flight breakup, followed by a crash in California's Mojave Desert. Fortunately, there were no passengers on board, because this was a test flight.

However, the co-pilot, Michael Alsbury, was killed and the pilot, Peter Siebold, was seriously injured. This was the fourth powered flight of a vehicle designed to complete suborbital flights by rocketing out of the atmosphere and coasting back to Earth after several minutes of weightlessness for commercial passengers. Today, Virgin Galactic is in final preparations for its first flight with passengers.

SpaceShipTwo was design to be released for a carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo. Seconds after release an internal rocket ignites on SpaceShipTwo, propelling it toward the edge of the atmosphere. On the 2014 fatal test flight a new and more powerful hybrid rocker motor was being flight tested for the first time.

According to a public NTSB briefing, SpaceShipTwo dropped from the carrier aircraft and fired its rocket motor engine normally. However, about 11 seconds later, SpaceShipTwo violently broke apart, subsequently creating a 35-mile long debris field. Witnesses saw a parachute deploy before the aircraft crashed.

Typical of such a catastrophic event early speculation as to the cause involved the theory that the new rocket motor was at fault. However, this was almost immediately discarded when the rocket and its propellant tanks were recovered intact. As it turned out, cockpit video subsequently indicated that the feathering system, which acts as an air-braking descent device, was deployed too early.

In fact, just two seconds after the copilot unlocked the feathering system, while still accelerating under rocket power, the craft disintegrated. This was the first loss of life on a spacecraft in flight since the Space Shuttle disaster in 2003. This disaster further demonstrated the critical nature of many types of mechanisms used on space vehicles and the importance of establishing precise procedures for using such mechanisms.

Subsequent to the crash, FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation awarded Virgin Galactic an Operator License for SpaceShipTwo. This license will soon permit commercial operations. The second SpaceShipTwo was successfully test flown in 2017 and reach space for the first time on December 13, 2018.

This vehicle has been modified to correct the deficiencies related to the 2014 crash. When finally certified to carry passengers, SpaceShipTwo will carry up to six paying passengers and two pilots on short, suborbital flights. The seat price is $250,000 each.


Related Links
Launchspace
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


ROCKET SCIENCE
Roscosmos introduces $15Bln cap on building Yenisei super-heavy rocket
Moscow (Sputnik) Jan 11, 2019
The leadership of Russian space agency Roscosmos has introduced a limit of 1 trillion rubles (approximately $15 billion) for the project of building the first specimen of the super-heavy Yenisei rocket, a source in the aerospace industry told Sputnik. In December, a source told Sputnik that the project might require up to 1.5 trillion rubles in funding. "During one of the recent sessions, the leadership of Roscosmos noted that the cost of designing and creating the first rocket should not ex ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

ROCKET SCIENCE
Not just for kids: a leap for seniors at Vegas tech show

India plans manned space mission by December 2021

India's second moon mission in mid-April

High-Risk Space Gambling

ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX laying off 10 percent of workforce

SpaceX launches final 10 satellites for Iridium

Roscosmos introduces $15Bln cap on building Yenisei super-heavy rocket

Elon Musk shows off prototype of Mars-bound rocket, Starship

ROCKET SCIENCE
UK tests self driving robots for Mars

ExoMars mission has good odds of finding life on Mars if life exists.

Mars Express gets festive: A winter wonderland on Mars

Over Six Months Without Word From Opportunity

ROCKET SCIENCE
China launches Zhongxing-2D satellite

China to deepen lunar exploration: space expert

China welcomes world's scientists to collaborate in lunar exploration

In space, the US sees a rival in China

ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX Falcon 9 completes Iridium Next launch campaign

The Satellite Applications Catapult partners with Infostellar to provide improved ground station access

Why I'm excited about Amazon entering the SatCom industry

Year of many new beginnings for Indian space sector

ROCKET SCIENCE
Northrop Grumman to support U.S. Army's Starlite radar system

Raytheon awarded $9.3M contract for Spy-1 radar work

Raytheon to equip classic Hornet with upgraded radar

A new twist on a mesmerizing story

ROCKET SCIENCE
First comprehensive, interactive tool to track SETI searches

Nature's magnifying glass reveals unexpected intermediate mass exoplanets

TESS discovers its third new planet, with longest orbit yet

Astronomers find warped protoplanetary disk around distant star

ROCKET SCIENCE
New Ultima Thule Discoveries from NASA's New Horizons

New Horizons unveils Ultima and Thule as a binary Kuiper

NASA says faraway world Ultima Thule shaped like 'snowman'

NASA succeeds in historic flyby of faraway world









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.