Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crashes

SpaceShipTwo – designed to take tourists to the edge of space – broke up during a test flight over America’s Mojave Desert. It was the first test flight using a new polyamide-based rocket fuel White Knight Two

Four-engined mothership carries SpaceShipTwo to launch altitude of 15,200m

SpaceShipTwo 
Length
Wingspan
Pilots
Passengers
18.3m
8.2m
2
6

This was 55th flight for SpaceShipTwo but only fourth time craft had actually fired its on-board rocket

Rocket motor

1 After separation from mothership, SpaceShipTwo fires its hybrid fueled rocket motor. Fuel should burn for 70 seconds to accelerate craft to 4,000km/h

2. Engine appears to burn for two seconds after ignition and then stops

3. Engine restarts and explodes

Source: Wire agency reports  Pictures: Associated Press