イギリスのヴァージン・グループ傘下の民間宇宙旅行会社「ヴァージン・ギャラクティック」社の宇宙旅客機「スペースシップ・ツー」が試験飛行中に墜落し、飛行士2人が死傷した事故を受けて、創設者のリチャード・ブランソン氏は11月1日、カリフォルニアで行った記者会見で調査の徹底と宇宙旅行事業の継続を表明した。
ブランソン氏は会見で事故の原因を追及することを約束し、そして、「夢が生き続けるのを見たい」とも語った。
ブランソン氏は「我々が数年前に始めたことを、最後までやり遂げられたらと思います。私たちの宇宙飛行士もこのプロジェクトをやり遂げて、宇宙に行きたいと思っています」。
「スペースシップ・ツー」は10月31日の試験飛行中、輸送機「ホワイトナイト2」から切り離された直後に墜落し、1名のパイロットが重傷を負い、39才のマイケル・アリスバーリー飛行士が死亡した。
国家運輸安全委員会は事故の原因追及のための調査を開始した。2004年に創設されたヴァージン・ギャラクティックはこれまで、観光客や科学者を対象に弾道飛行（大砲の弾のように高度100キロの高さまで弧を描いて飛行し、数分間の無重力状態を体験すること）のサービスを提供してきた。
この事故は、ブランソン氏と、電気自動車会社「テスラ・モーターズ」と宇宙輸送会社「SpaceX」の創設者イーロン・マスク氏によって牽引されてきた、始まったばかりの宇宙旅行産業が直面する危機を強調する結果となった。
28日には無人飛行船アンタレス・ロケットが、NASAのバージニア州ワロップス島から発射された6秒後に爆発した。このロケットは国際宇宙ステーションへ物資を運搬する予定だった。
この爆発でけが人はいなかったものの、このロケットを開発した会社「オービタル・サイエンシズ」の株価は直後に急落した。同社はどこにトラブルが生じたのか調査をすることを約束した。
ジョージ・ワシントン大学の元宇宙政策ディレクター、ジョン・ログズドン氏はAP通信に「これまで多くの人々が、有人飛行のテクノロジーは安全に確立されたものだと信じて来たのですから、この事故は近いうちに多くの人々が宇宙空間の周辺へ観光旅行をすることができるようになるという考えを、遅らせる大きな原因になります」と述べた。
ブランソン氏は1日の会見で落ち込んだ様子を見せ、記者たちに対し、ヴァージン・グループの宇宙旅行事業部であるヴァージン・ギャラクティックは「やみくもに突き進むことはない」と述べた。
「私たちのテストパイロットたちに対して、トラブルを引き起こしたものが何なのかを解明する義務があります。もしこの事故を乗り越えることができれば、夢が生き続けるのを見たいと思っています」。
ヴァージン・ギャラクティック 墜落事故
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Debris from Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 sits in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California on The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Agents from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), FBI and Sheriff\'s comb through the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California. The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Agents from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), FBI and Sheriff\'s comb through the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California. The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Debris from Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 sits in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California on The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Sheriff\'s deputies inspect the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California on The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Sheriff\'s deputies inspect the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California on The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Agents from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), FBI and Sheriff\'s comb through the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California. The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Sheriff\'s deputies inspect the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California on The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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MOJAVE, CA - NOVEMBER 2 : Debris from Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 sits in a desert field November 2, 2014 north of Mojave, California on The Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 crashed on October 31, 2014 during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) (credit:Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images)
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An National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team surveys a tail section from the crashed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Wreckage from Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo is seen near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE(46 of63)
An National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team surveys a tail section from the crashed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE(47 of63)
An National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team surveys a tail section from the crashed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE(48 of63)
An National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team surveys a tail section from the crashed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE(49 of63)
An National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team surveys a tail section from the crashed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo near Cantil, California, on November 01, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another on October 31. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Crashes During Test Flight In Mojave Desert(50 of63)
MOJAVE, CA- NOVEMBER 1: In this handout provided by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher A. Hart briefs the media on the crash of SpaceShipTwo on November 1, 2014 in Mojave, California. Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic said his team is dedicated to finding out what led to Friday\'s fatal test flight that killed one pilot and injured a second one. (Photo by NTSB via Getty Images) (credit:Handout via Getty Images)
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Crashes During Test Flight In Mojave Desert(51 of63)
MOJAVE, CA- NOVEMBER 1: In this handout provided by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher A. Hart briefs the media on the crash of SpaceShipTwo on November 1, 2014 in Mojave, California. Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic said his team is dedicated to finding out what led to Friday\'s fatal test flight that killed one pilot and injured a second one. (Photo by NTSB via Getty Images) (credit:Handout via Getty Images)
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Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson(2ndL) helps a reporter(L) with his camera after the reporter fell to the ground following a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE-BRANSON(53 of63)
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Acting Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Board Christopher A. Hart speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. NTSB acting chairman Christopher Hart told reporters investigators were entering unknown territory but hoped to find clues to the accident in data gathered by Virgin Galactic. \'This will be the first time we have been in the lead of a space launch that involved persons on board,\' Hart said. It was not immediately known if a black box flight data recorder was installed on the doomed suborbital craft, Hart said. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE-BRANSON(55 of63)
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson reacts during a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE-BRANSON(57 of63)
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE-BRANSON(58 of63)
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Crashes During Test Flight In Mojave Desert(59 of63)
MOJAVE, CA- NOVEMBER 1: In this handout provided by NBC/Virgin.com, Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic speaks at a press conference in regards to Virgin Galactic\'s SpaceShipTwo crash in the desert, at Mojave Air and Space Port on Novemebr 1, 2014 in Mojave, California. Branson said his team is dedicated to finding out what led to Friday\'s fatal test flight that killed one pilot and injured a second one. (Photo by NBC/Virgin.com via Getty Images) (credit:Handout via Getty Images)
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Acting Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Board Christopher A. Hart speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. NTSB acting chairman Christopher Hart told reporters investigators were entering unknown territory but hoped to find clues to the accident in data gathered by Virgin Galactic. \'This will be the first time we have been in the lead of a space launch that involved persons on board,\' Hart said. It was not immediately known if a black box flight data recorder was installed on the doomed suborbital craft, Hart said. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE-BRANSON(61 of63)
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson speaks at a press conference at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson insisted Saturday his dream of commercial space travel remained alive but warned his company would not \'press on blindly\' without knowing what caused the spacecraft crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another. Speaking to reporters after arriving in the California facility which had been the hub of Virgin Galactic\'s ambitious space program, Branson said safety remained his paramount concern. \'We owe it to our test pilots to find out exactly what went wrong, and once we\'ve found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it, we\'ll make absolutely certain that the dream lives on,\' Branson told reporters. His comments at the Mojave Air and Space Port came as a team of federal investigators began probing the causes of Friday\'s accident, which dealt a devastating setback to the cause of commercial space tourism. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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Members of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrive before dawn at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson was poised to rally his grieving Virgin Galactic staff in California on Saturday as investigators began probing the test flight crash of a spacecraft that left one pilot dead and another seriously injured. A shocked Branson headed to the Mojave Desert within hours of Friday\'s crash, which saw the company\'s futuristic suborbital vehicle broken into several pieces and scattered across a wide area. The crash was the second disaster to rock the private space industry in the space of a few days after an Antares rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded after take-off in Virginia in Tuesday. Experts say Friday\'s accident will delay the advent of commercial space tourism by several years.Virgin Galactic had hoped to start ferrying wealthy customers to the edge of space in 2015, charging $250,000 per person for a ticket on the company\'s six-seater SpaceShipTwo. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
US-ACCIDENT-SPACE(63 of63)
Members of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrive before dawn at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California on November 1, 2014. British tycoon Richard Branson was poised to rally his grieving Virgin Galactic staff in California on Saturday as investigators began probing the test flight crash of a spacecraft that left one pilot dead and another seriously injured. A shocked Branson headed to the Mojave Desert within hours of Friday\'s crash, which saw the company\'s futuristic suborbital vehicle broken into several pieces and scattered across a wide area. The crash was the second disaster to rock the private space industry in the space of a few days after an Antares rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded after take-off in Virginia in Tuesday. Experts say Friday\'s accident will delay the advent of commercial space tourism by several years.Virgin Galactic had hoped to start ferrying wealthy customers to the edge of space in 2015, charging $250,000 per person for a ticket on the company\'s six-seater SpaceShipTwo. AFP PHOTO/JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)
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