VSS Enterprise GF17

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.

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.

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.

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.