Fatal explosion hits Virgin space programme

[Rick]

Three employees of a pioneering spaceship company were killed and another three badly hurt when a propellant system blew up during testing in California yesterday.

The explosion happened at Mojave Air and Space Port at about 2:30pm local time. It is believed to have involved a tank of nitrous oxide, to be used as fuel in the forthcoming SpaceShip Two rocket-plane.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/27/scaled_composites_mojave_spaceship_two_explosion/

[Rick]

See also:

Explosion Kills Three at Mojave Air and Space Port
http://www.space.com/news/070727_scaled_explosion_update.html

Scaled Composites Forms Support Fund for Explosion Victims
http://www.space.com/news/070730_scaled_supportfund.html