VSS Enterprise GF01
SpaceShipTwo
Virgin Galactic
Crew
Michael Alsbury
- Birthday: 03/19/1975
- Role: Pilot
- Nationality: American
- First Flight: 10/10/2010
- Last Flight: 10/31/2014
Michael Tyner Alsbury was an American test pilot for Scaled Composites. On October 31, 2014, Alsbury was test flying the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo, VSS Enterprise with Peter Siebold. The craft broke up in-flight, resulting in a total loss of VSS Enterprise, which crashed in the California Mojave Desert.
Peter Siebold
- Birthday: 01/01/1971
- Role: Pilot
- Nationality: American
- First Flight: 10/10/2010
- Last Flight: 10/31/2014
Peter Siebold is a member of the Scaled Composites astronaut team. He is their Director of Flight Operations was one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo. On October 31, 2014, Peter Siebold and Michael Alsbury were piloting the SpaceShipTwo VSS Enterprise on flight PF04, when the craft came apart in mid-air and then crashed, killing Alsbury and injuring Siebold.
Mission
VSS Enterprise GF01
- Type: Test Flight
- Orbit: Suborbital
Free glide test flight of VSS Enterprise.
Location
Mojave Air and Space Port
Air launch to Suborbital flight
Mojave Air and Space Port has witnessed the launch of 53 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts, while Air launch to Suborbital flight, has been the site for 85 rocket launches.
Rocket
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo
The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic.
Agency
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company within the Virgin Group. It is developing commercial spacecraft and aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. Virgin Galactic’s suborbital spacecraft are air launched from beneath a carrier airplane known as White Knight Two.