Editing SpaceShipTwo (section)

==== October 2014 crash ====
{{main|VSS Enterprise crash}}
[[File:NTSB Go-Team inspects a tail section of VSS Enterprise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|[[NTSB]] Go-Team inspects a tail section of [[VSS Enterprise|VSS ''Enterprise'']].]]

On 31 October 2014, SpaceShipTwo VSS ''Enterprise'' suffered an in-flight breakup during a powered flight test,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1143260271/SpaceShipTwo-experiences-in-flight-anomaly|title=SpaceShipTwo disaster: Industry mourns pilot but vows to keep ...|newspaper=The Bakersfield Californian|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023044651/http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1143260271/SpaceShipTwo-experiences-in-flight-anomaly|archive-date=23 October 2015}}</ref><ref name=nbc_premature_deploy>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/virgin-voyage/spaceshiptwo-feather-tail-system-deployed-prematurely-ntsb-n239721|title=SpaceShipTwo 'Feather' Tail System Deployed Prematurely: NTSB|date=3 November 2014|website=NBC News}}</ref> resulting in a crash killing one pilot, [[Michael Alsbury]], and injuring the other.<ref name="NYT-20141031-KC"/><ref name="spaceflightnow.com"/> It was coincidentally the first flight to use the new type of fuel, based on nylon plastic grains.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Marks|first1=Paul|title=Virgin Galactic's Spaceshiptwo in fatal crash|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26489-virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-in-fatal-crash.html#.VFRiwucbOsU|website=newscientist.com|publisher=New Scientist|access-date=1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="gizmodo2014">{{cite news
|url=https://gizmodo.com/virgin-galactic-experiences-first-major-accident-possi-1653360863|title=Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Has Crashed, Possible Casualties|publisher=Gizmodo|date=31 October 2014|access-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> The crash was caused by a premature deployment of the [[Atmospheric entry#Feathered entry|feathering mechanism]], which was normally used to aid in a safe descent. SpaceShipTwo was still in powered ascent when the feathering mechanism deployed. Disintegration was observed two seconds later.<ref name=nbc_premature_deploy/>

{{As of|October 2014}}, SpaceShipTwo had conducted 54 test flights.<ref name="space20141008">{{cite news|url=http://www.space.com/27376-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-test-flight.html|title=Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Aces Glide Test Flight|publisher=SPACE.com|date=8 October 2014|access-date=8 October 2014|last=Wall|first=Mike}}</ref> The spacecraft had used its "feathered" wing configuration during ten of these test flights.<ref name="space20141008"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/feather-flight-and-nitrous-vent-test-success/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111051050/https://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/feather-flight-and-nitrous-vent-test-success/|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 November 2019|title=Feather flight and nitrous vent test success|publisher=Virgin Galactic|access-date=12 April 2013}}</ref><ref name=pressrelease20140110>{{cite web |url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-reaches-new-heights-in-third-supersonic-test-flight/ |date=10 January 2014 |access-date=13 January 2014 |title=Virgin Galactic Reaches New Heights in Third Supersonic Test Flight |website=virgingalactic.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407135714/http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-reaches-new-heights-in-third-supersonic-test-flight |archive-date=7 April 2014 }}</ref>

The [[National Transportation Safety Board]] conducted an independent investigation into the accident. In July 2015, the NTSB released a report which cited inadequate design safeguards, poor pilot training, lack of rigorous federal oversight and a potentially anxious co-pilot as important factors in the 2014 crash.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR15-02.pdf |title=In-Flight Breakup During Test Flight, Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo, N339SS, Near Koehn Dry Lake, California, October 31, 2014 |work=National Transportation Safety Board |date=28 July 2015 |access-date=29 August 2017 }}</ref><ref name="EnterpriseNTSBReport">{{cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20150728.aspx |title=Lack of Consideration for Human Factors Led to In-Flight Breakup of SpaceShipTwo |publisher=NTSB |date=28 July 2015 |access-date=29 July 2015 }} {{PD-notice}}</ref> While the co-pilot was faulted for prematurely deploying the ship's feathering mechanism, the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Aviation Administration [[Office of Commercial Space Transportation]], and the ship's designers were also faulted for not creating a fail-safe system that could have guarded against such premature deployment.<ref name="EnterpriseNTSBReport"/>