News – Page 718 – Spaceflight Now

June 25, 2026

Breaking News

[ June 24, 2026 ] Live Coverage: West Coast Falcon 9 launch to continue expansion of SpaceX’s Starlink network Falcon 9
[ June 23, 2026 ] NASA, Boeing committed to Starliner-1 launch despite unclear timeline Mission Reports
[ June 23, 2026 ] SpaceX launches reentry capsule demo mission called ‘Starfall’ Falcon 9
[ June 22, 2026 ] NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrives in Florida Falcon Heavy
[ June 20, 2026 ] SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Falcon 9

Virgin Galactic rocket plane deployed braking system prematurely

November 3, 2014 Stephen Clark

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane disintegrated in mid-air after two tail stabilizers prematurely extended, federal investigators said, a discovery that could shift the focus of the probe into the fatal crash away from the craft’s rocket motor.

SpaceShipTwo crash inquiry could take a year

November 2, 2014 Stephen Clark

Investigators have plenty of evidence to sift through as they look into the cause of the fatal crash of a Virgin Galactic rocket plane, but the acting chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said the inquiry may take up to a year to complete.

Branson vows to press ahead, NTSB investigation begins

November 2, 2014 William Harwood

Richard Branson, the charismatic leader of Virgin Galactic and a driving force in the push to commercialize space travel, vowed to find out what caused the fatal crash of his company’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, to learn from the tragedy and to press ahead with plans to carry paying customers into space.

VIDEO: NTSB news conference on start of SpaceShipTwo investigation

November 2, 2014 Spaceflight Now

The NTSB’s Acting Chairman Christopher Hart holds a news conference to discuss the start of the investigation into the loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane over the Mojave Desert.

Military communications satellite launched from Russia

November 1, 2014 Stephen Clark

A Russian military communications relay platform blasted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, riding a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage into an egg-shaped orbit reaching nearly 25,000 miles above Earth.

Chinese probe returns from flight around the moon

November 1, 2014 Stephen Clark

Completing an eight-day test flight around the moon to verify technologies for a planned lunar sample return mission, an unpiloted Chinese space capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at blazing speed and parachuted to a successful landing.

VIDEO: First NTSB briefing on Virgin Galactic accident

November 1, 2014 Spaceflight Now

Acting NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart briefs the news media on Saturday, soon after arriving at the Mojave Air & Space Port to begin an investigation into the loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.

First stage propulsion system is early focus of Antares investigation

October 31, 2014 Stephen Clark

The first sign of failure during the doomed launch of an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket from Virginia came from the rocket’s first stage about 15 seconds after liftoff.

Pilot dies in crash of Virgin Galactic rocket plane

October 31, 2014 Stephen Clark

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane crashed during a powered test flight over California’s Mojave Desert on Friday, leaving one pilot dead and another seriously injured.

Initial damage assessment shows Antares pad intact

October 31, 2014 Stephen Clark

Initial inspections of the Antares rocket’s launch pad in Virginia revealed the facility escape major damage after sustaining nearly a direct hit from the booster as it fell to the ground in flames seconds after liftoff.

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