MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) — Pilots of the SpaceShipTwo aircraft that crashed on Friday have been identified, Kern County Sheriff's Office reported Saturday.
"The pilot, identified as 43 year old Peter Siebold, had sustained moderate to major injuries from the crash. He was airlifted to Antelope Valley Hospital to be treated for his injuries. Deputies located the second pilot, 39 year old Michael Alsbury, deceased at one of the of crash sites," the statement published on the office's website says.
Peter Siebold is the pilot, who managed to eject from the aircraft and parachute to the ground. Michael Alsbury died in the crash.
On Friday, the US spaceship manufacturer Virgin Galactic announced that an experimental space flight vehicle SpaceShipTwo crashed during the powered test flight in the Mojave Desert due to a serious anomaly.
Federal Aviation Administration said in the release that two crew members were on board SpaceShipTwo at the time of the incident.
Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are now investigating the cause of the accident.
The crash of the SpaceShipTwo is the second major accident with space vehicles, happening in the United States this week.
On Tuesday, the Antares spacecraft that was carrying cargo to the International Space Station crashed only six seconds after launching from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
