Virgin Galactic's Fatal Crash May Have Been Due To An Unauthorized Tail Deployment

The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane's "feathering" system, which typically requires two steps, initiated on its own.

On Friday, shortly after being dropped from a cargo aircraft over the Mojave desert, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two exploded at a height of 45,000 feet, seriously injuring pilot Pete Siebold, who managed to eject from the spacecraft before it disintegrated, and killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury. It casts an ominous fog over Virgin founder Richard Branson's budding space tourism efforts, where customers are invited to pay $250,000 per seat for the chance to flown to the edge of space and back. Branson was hoping to start commercial flights as early as next spring.

Read Full Story