Explore Mars Inc. was deeply saddened about yesterday’s tragic accident involving Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, which resulted in the death of one pilot and the serious injury of another. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and we hope for a fast recovery of the injured pilot.
Over the coming weeks and months Virgin Galactic will sort through the data and the debris from the accident and will almost certainly determine the cause. We have no doubt that Virgin Galactic has the talent and resolve that will be necessary to determine the cause of the accident” and move forward. However, there will be difficult days ahead for the entire Virgin Galactic family.
While this is a significant set-back for commercial space, it is worth remembering that the early days of commercial aviation saw many accidents. Nevertheless, those pioneers persevered and created an aviation industry that has brought innumerable benefits to the world. As stated by Explore Mars Executive Director Chris Carberry, “We never want to throw lives away, but sometime it’s necessary for willing people to risk their lives to create new industries, to push technology, and to explore.”
