Aviation News

The pilot of SpaceShipTwo, which crashed Oct. 31 in the Mojave Desert, told investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board he was unaware the feather system had been unlocked early by the copilot, theNTSBsaid this week. Peter Siebold, who is recovering from his injuries in the crash, told investigators Friday he was unaware of the […]

If you follow spaceflight much-and probably even if you don’t-you’ll recall the Mars probe that burned up during orbital insertion a few years ago. Actually, it was the Mars Climate Orbiter and that was 16 years ago, believe it or not. The problem was that instead of the newton-seconds specified in the contract, software writers […]

Orbital Sciences said this week it plans to revamp its Antares rocket program and target another launch in 2016. Meanwhile, the company continues to investigate the cause of the Oct. 28 engine failure that led operators to intentionally destroy the unmanned supply rocket seconds after ignition. David Thompson, the company’s president and CEO, told investors […]

Advocates of Santa Monica Municipal Airport said this week they won’t give up their fight to prevent the city from redeveloping the field, despite a failed ballot initiative that would have put the airport’s fate in the hands of voters. The ballot question asked residents if the city should be required to seek approval from […]

Investigators probing the crash of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo are focusing on a potential uncommanded deployment of the vehicle’s unique feathering tail structure designed to create drag and control speed during atmospheric entry. In a press conference Sunday evening, NTSB acting chairman Christopher Hart said that early data indicated the crew activated one of two controls […]

The Wall Street Journal is reporting (subscription only) that structural failure, rather than an engine explosion, is the initial focus of the NTSB investigation into the loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo on Friday. It is quoting unnamed sources as saying the preliminary video and data analysis is turning the focus to an aerodynamic breakup, although […]

Friday’s loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo was as inevitable was it was tragic. If anyone believes-as I think some do-that attaching “tourism” to space flight somehow erases the risk of flight beyond the atmosphere, this accident should disabuse them of that notion. But I wonder if it will. Promoting space tourism has gotten quite beyond […]

One test pilot has died and another has been seriously injured in the crash of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo during a test flight from Mojave Air and Space Port, California. The company said that the spacecraft suffered an anomaly that resulted in loss of the vehicle. Parachutes were reportedly sighted in the area. One witness said […]

Shortly after liftoff of Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Antares Rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia on Tuesday, Oct. 28, it became apparent to the operators that there was a problem with the launch and they hit the destruct button. Barron Beneski, vice president of corporate communications at Orbital, confirmed that the flight termination system was […]

AVweb’s weekly foray into the latest aviation news uncovered news of a new president at MicroAerodynanics, a special aircraft sale by Quicksilver, no delay CFI insurance and staff additions at the EAA. After several years as the Flight Test Director and Vice President at Micro AeroDynamics, Ms. Anni Brogan has become President of the company. […]