Sending humans into space is hugely difficult, insanely expensive and extremely dangerous.

The idea that space flight could be made as simple, risk-free and affordable as a high-end Antarctic cruise was always a fantasy. So the tragic loss of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft over the Mojave Desert may be the death knell for Richard Branson's dream of sending hundreds of wealthy but not necessarily super-rich people on short, sub-orbital hops into space for $US250,000 ($300,000) a seat.

Branson's biographer, Tom Bower, has since stated that the project was doomed, and claimed that an engineer had walked off just a few weeks ago, citing safety concerns over the engine technology. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

The project was founded at the turn of the century with the goal of opening up space to the paying public. Branson's company went into partnership with a brilliant American engineering firm called Scaled Composites, which won the $US10 million Ansari X-Prize in 2004 after it launched the first private ship SpaceShipOne (SS1) to the edge of space carrying a human passenger.

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SpaceShipTwo (SS2), the spaceplane that crashed near the Mojave spaceport killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other, is an eight-seat version of SS1. Like the prototype, it is carried to 50,000 feet by a jet aircraft (called White Knight) and then detaches, firing its solid-fuel rocket to send it up to 100 kilometres (the arbitrarily defined limit of "space"). It then coasts for a few minutes in gentle free fall (allowing passengers to experience weightlessness) before gliding back to Earth.

Since the partnership was announced in 2004, Branson has insisted that the first commercial space flight will take place in about three years' time. But Virgin Galactic has been plagued by delays, technical problems and catastrophic loss of life. It is hard to see Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Justin Bieber or Tom Hanks all of whom have paid deposits taking to the air any time soon.

When I visited the Virgin Galactic headquarters a year ago, I was hugely impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of the pilots and engineers. One or two sceptics had told me that Virgin Galactic was no more than a branding exercise for Branson's airline. This is not the case. I have no doubt that he was sincere in his belief that he can break the monopoly of NASA and the other state-funded agencies. And I have no doubt that Branson is sincere when he states that Virgin Galactic will persevere after this terrible setback.

But the truth is that the odds are against him. NASA has spent $US500 billion since its inception trying to make space flight safe and affordable. It has not succeeded. The statistics are skewed by the two shuttle disasters (which killed 14 people; 3 per cent of everyone who has been into space) but the reality is that your chances of dying on any trip into space are about one in 100: the same odds as dying while climbing Everest.

The odds of dying in a plane crash are in the low millions. The Virgin team said SS2 was "somewhere in between".

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Everyday space flight a dream too far for Virgin Galactic

Richard Branson, the Virgin Galactic Ltd. founder who vowed a decade ago to make the company a pioneer in commercial space flight, stopped short of saying he would continue the quest after an experimental craft exploded during a test flight.

Branson, 64, told reporters today near the crash site in Mojave, California, that officials from Virgin Galactic and the National Transportation Safety Board would have to determine the cause of the crash before Virgin proceeds with its plans for commercial space travel.

Its fair to say that all 400 engineers who work here, and I think most people in the world, would love to see the dream living on, Branson said. I would say we owe it to our test pilots to figure out what went wrong.

Branson, the long-haired billionaire whose career has been defined by expanding his Virgin Group Ltd. into diverse lines of business such as records, an airline, mobile communications and railways, founded subsidiary Virgin Galactic in 2004 with the goal of offering suborbital space flights for tourists, science missions and launches of small satellites.

With the crash of SpaceShipTwo over the Mojave Desert yesterday, Branson and Virgin Galactic face the most significant setback in the history of commercial space travel. The crash killed one test pilot and seriously injured another.

Looking downcast at a press conference at Mojave Air and Space Port, where the doomed craft began its flight a day earlier, Branson said his quest for commercial space travel would be delayed at least until the investigation is complete.

We do understand the risks involved and we are not going to push on blindly -- to do so would be an insult to all those affected by this tragedy, Branson said. We are going to learn from what went wrong, discover how we can improve safety and performance, and then move forward together.

He said hes received e-mails from would-be passengers urging him to forge ahead.

I think theyve been patient today and will continue to be patient, he said.

An aide then whisked Branson away from the press conference, saying he would meet next with the companys 400 engineers.

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Branson Stops Short of Vowing to Continue Space Flights

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Virgin Galactic spaceship crash in Mojave desert - October 31 2014
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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo blew apart after being released from a carrier aircraft at high altitude, according to Ken Brown, a photographer who witnessed the explosion.

One pilot was found dead inside the spacecraft and another parachuted out and was taken by helicopter to a hospital, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said.

The crash area was about 120 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and 20 miles from the Mojave Air and Space Port, where the flight originated.

"Space is hard, and today was a tough day," Virgin Galactic CEO and president George Whitesides said. "The future rests in many ways on hard, hard days like this."

The accident occurred just as it seemed commercial space flights were near, after a period of development that lasted far longer than hundreds of prospective passengers had expected.

When Virgin Group licensed the technology from Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who put $26 million into SpaceShipOne, Branson envisioned operating flights by 2007. In interviews last month, he talked about the first flight being next spring with his son.

"It's a real setback to the idea that lots of people are going to be taking joyrides into the fringes of outer space any time soon," said John Logsdon, retired space policy director at George Washington University. "There were a lot of people who believed that the technology to carry people is safely at hand."

Friday's flight marked the 55th for SpaceShipTwo, which was intended to be the first of a fleet of craft. This was only the fourth flight to include a brief rocket firing. During other flights, the craft either was not released from its mothership or functioned as a glider after release.

At 60 feet long, SpaceShipTwo featured two large windows for each of up to six passengers, one on the side and one overhead.

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Space tourism craft explodes on flight

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)Virgin Groups founder Richard Branson vowed Saturday to keep Virgin Galactics commercial space project going, and said he was headed to the site where the companys spaceship crashed during a test flight Friday, killing one pilot and injuring the other.

Space is hardbut worth it. We will persevere and move forward together, Branson said in a statement on the companys website.

Branson also tweeted Saturday about the support the Virgin Galactic team has received:

In the statement, Branson said the company will cooperate fully with all the authorities involved in the investigation, and share more information when possible.

Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo exploded over the Mojave Desert in California on Friday. The spaceship suffered a serious anomaly after it separated from its launcher, which landed safely, the company has said.

While not a NASA mission, the pain of this tragedy will be felt by all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploration. Space flight is incredibly difficult, and we commend the passion of all in the space community who take on risk to push the boundaries of human achievement, NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement Friday.

The accident was the second in a week for the commercial space industry, which has been lauded as an alternative to pricey government programs. On Tuesday, a pilotless rocket by Orbital Sciences Corp. exploded after liftoff in Virginia, destroying cargo bound to the international space station.

Several celebrities and billionaires have signed up to fly on Virgin Galactics space tourism flights, the first of which had been scheduled to take off next year after several delays.

The booking page on Virgin Galactics site showed statements from the company and its CEO, George Whitesides, referring to the fatal accident.

The pages abstract was still available through web searches, however, and it advertised the booking as your first step to becoming an astronaut!. Flights cost $250,000 and deposits are refundable, it said.

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Virgins Branson vows to keep commercial space project alive

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

"We are determined to know what went wrong and are working closely with authorities to get that information," Branson said Saturday at a press conference in the Mojave Desert, near the site of the accident.

From CNN: 1 dead, 1 injured in SpaceShipTwo test flight failure

Branson continued to express sorrow for the loss of life. But he also addressed a question on many people's mind: Will Virgin continue its space tourism business?

"We're going to learn what went wrong, discover how we can improve safety and performance and then move forward together," Branson said. "Four hundred engineers who work here and most people in the world would love to see the dream living on."

Commercial flights were set to start in 2015.

The Virgin Galactic spaceship that exploded Friday cost nearly $500 million to develop.

Virgin has sold more than 700 tickets to space already, each costing more than $250,000, for future flights. Several celebrities have already signed up, including Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Stephen Hawking.

Anyone who has bought a ticket and is now nervous about space flight will be able to get a full refund, Branson assured. The company has received more than $80 million from bookings.

The special plane is called SpaceShipTwo, and it was designed to carry six passengers.

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Branson: Dream of space tourism lives on

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

"We are determined to know what went wrong and are working closely with authorities to get that information," Branson said Saturday at a press conference in the Mojave Desert, near the site of the accident.

From CNN: 1 dead, 1 injured in SpaceShipTwo test flight failure

Branson continued to express sorrow for the loss of life. But he also addressed a question on many people's mind: Will Virgin continue its space tourism business?

"We're going to learn what went wrong, discover how we can improve safety and performance and then move forward together," Branson said. "Four hundred engineers who work here and most people in the world would love to see the dream living on."

Commercial flights were set to start in 2015.

The Virgin Galactic spaceship that exploded Friday cost nearly $500 million to develop.

Virgin has sold more than 700 tickets to space already, each costing more than $250,000, for future flights. Several celebrities have already signed up, including Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Stephen Hawking.

Anyone who has bought a ticket and is now nervous about space flight will be able to get a full refund, Branson assured. The company has received more than $80 million from bookings.

The special plane is called SpaceShipTwo, and it was designed to carry six passengers.

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Branson: The dream of space tourism lives on

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -

Another major blow to private space flight Friday after Virgin Galatic's SpaceShip Two Tourism Rocket exploded over a Southern California desert. One pilot died, the other sustained a major injury.

Friday's crash follows the one earlier this week where an Antares rocket exploded in Wallops, Virginia. That unmanned rocket blew up seconds after liftoff. It was headed to the international space station to deliver more than 5,000 pounds of cargo.

When it comes to traveling in and to space, we still haven't learned everything yet according to former NASA administrator, Mike Griffin.

"Space flight is in its infancy, were still learning how to do it. said Griffin.

He's saddened, but not surprised about the Antares Rocket and Virgin Galatic accidents.

These are the kinds of things that will occur as human beings seek to develop a capability to go where one has gone before. said Griffin.

Private companies are trying to retrace the government's steps for their commercial space ventures, according to Griffin.

We should not be surprised that it is a difficult and challenging problem. said Griffin.

Griffin reminds us that airplane travel is incredibly safe.

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Space exploration furthers development in technology

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The wreckage from Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo. Photograph: Reuters

A Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed after an explosion during a test flight over the Mojave desert on Friday, killing one of the pilots, seriously injuring another and leaving debris scattered over a wide area.

The plane, SpaceShipTwo, was undertaking a test flight as part of Virgin Galactics plans for commercial space travel when a serious anomaly occurred, the company said.

Witnesses reported the spacecraft broke apart soon after it was detached from the plane that carries it to 45,000ft.

Rescuers found one of the pilots dead on the ground. Another, who appeared to have deployed an emergency parachute, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries.

The crash served as another stark reminder the dangers of space exploration, three days after an unmanned rocket on supply mission to the international space station exploded seconds after takeoff from a Nasa launch facility in Virginia.

Space is hard, and today was a tough day, said George Whitesides, CEO and president of Virgin Galactic, at a news conference.

Two pilots are usually on board for Virgin Galactics test flights, launched from a base in the Mojave desert. The identities of those involved in Fridays accident, which happened just before 11am local time, were not disclosed.

The California Highway Patrol confirmed that one person was dead and another had suffered major injuries in the accident, which happened at 10.51am local time. The survivor was flown to hospital by air ambulance.

A spokesman for Kern County sheriff said the co-pilot of the plane had been killed, while the pilot ejected and suffered moderate to major injuries.

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One person dead as Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane crashes on test flight

LOS ANGELES: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo craft suffered an "anomaly" during a test flight over California on Friday (Oct 31), the commercial space flight operator announced on its Twitter feed.

The craft, which is still in its test phase and which normally carries two pilots, had been carried aloft on a bigger aircraft known as WhiteKnightTwo and then released for a test of its rocket engine.

The fate of the crew was not immediately known.

"SpaceShipTwo has experienced an in-flight anomaly. Additional info and statement forthcoming," Virgin said, giving no further details. WhiteKnightTwo had taken off normally from California's Mojave desert, and been released normally, in what was the 35th such flight.

"SpaceShipTwo has been released by WhiteKnightTwo, and is now flying freely," the firm wrote in a blow-by-blow account of the flight, adding: "Ignition! SpaceShipTwo is flying under rocket power again."

The next tweet announced the "anomaly".

More than 500 people have already reserved seats - and paid a deposit on the US$200,000 (S$257,092) ticket price - for a minutes-long suborbital flight on SS2. SpaceShipTwo can carry six passengers.

SpaceShipTwo is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, and which is now on displace at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Private companies are rushing to fill the gap left by NASA, which ended its 30-year shuttle program in July with the completion of the final Atlantis mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Friday's incident is the second involving a space craft this week, after an unmanned Orbital Science rocket exploded on Tuesday six seconds after launch on a resupply mission to the ISS.

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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suffers 'in-flight anomaly'

The Associated Press Published Friday, October 31, 2014 3:13PM EDT Last Updated Friday, October 31, 2014 5:03PM EDT

MOJAVE, Calif. -- A Virgin Galactic space tourism rocket exploded Friday during a test flight, killing a pilot aboard and seriously injuring another while scattering wreckage in Southern California's Mojave Desert, witnesses and officials said.

The company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson would not say what happened other than that it was working with authorities to determine the cause of the "accident."

"During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of SpaceShipTwo," Virgin Galactic tweeted.

Ken Brown, a photographer who witnessed the crash, told The Associated Press that SpaceShipTwo exploded after a plane designed to take it to high altitude released it and the craft ignited its rocket motor.

Brown said the wreckage fell in the desert north of Mojave Air and Space Port, where the test flight originated. The area is about 120 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

There is one fatality and one major injury, California Highway Patrol Officer Jesse Borne said. One person parachuted out, he said.

SpaceShipTwo, which is typically flown by two pilots, was designed to provide a suborbital thrill ride into space before it returns to Earth as a glider.

Friday's flight marked the 55th for the spaceship, which was intended to be the first of a line of craft that would open space to paying civilians. At 60 feet long, SpaceShipTwo features two large windows for each of up to six passengers, one on the side and one overhead.

Virgin Galactic -- owned by Branson's Virgin Group and Aabar Investments PJS of Abu Dhabi -- sells seats on each prospective journey for $250,000, with full payment due at the time of booking. The company says that "future astronauts," as it calls customers, have visited Branson's Caribbean home, Necker Island, and gone through G-force training.

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Virgin Galactic space tourism rocket explodes during test flight, 1 dead

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