"We Just Don't Know"

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 07.27.07 0815 EDT: Thursday's explosion at a test facility used by Scaled Composites at California's Mojave Air And Space Port has claimed another victim, bringing the total lost to three. Two other workers are listed in critical condition, and one is listed in serious condition.

The circumstances behind the explosion -- which the Los Angeles Times reports occurred during a propellant systems test for the planned SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle now under development at Scaled -- remain unclear.

"We felt it was completely safe. We had done a lot of these [tests] with SpaceShip One," Scaled founder Burt Rutan said at a Thursday evening news conference in Mojave. The "cold fire test" underway at the time did not involve igniting the rocket motor.

Scaled is reportedly looking at the flow of nitrous oxide (more commonly known as laughing gas) through an opening in the system during the test, as a possible cause of the blast -- which one person standing about 500 yards from the accident site said "was louder than a sonic boom."

For the moment, answers remain elusive... and the immediate focus at Scaled is the impact the accident will have on the small, maverick aerospace company that rose to prominence with such creative vehicles as the Voyager and Global Flyer round-the-world aircraft, and the original SpaceShipOne.

"We just don't know" why the explosion occurred, a visibly shaken Rutan said Thursday.

ORIGINAL REPORT

07.26.07 2225 EDT: Two persons were killed and at least four injured Thursday afternoon when an explosion at a facility used by Scaled Composites rocked the airport in Mojave, CA.

Local media reports state a nitrous oxide tank exploded in a remote area of the airport used for rocket testing. Four injured workers were airlifted to medical facilities in Bakersfield, about 60 miles west of Mojave.

Identities of the victims have not been released.

"An employee called and said there's been an explosion over at Scaled and there was a huge sound wave," said Mike Potter, operator of P&M Aircraft at Mojave to the Los Angeles Times. "Shortly thereafter, the cops were all over the place."

CNN reports Scaled founder Burt Rutan was not at the facility at the time of the blast. Rutan told the news service the explosion occurred during a "cold fire test."

"We've lost a couple of our employees. It's a very big deal," an obviously shaken Rutan told the AP, as he reportedly drove to the accident scene.

ANN will provide more information as it becomes available.

Company Information

Founded by Rutan in 1982, Scaled Composites is arguably best known for building SpaceShipOne, the first manned civilian spacecraft. The company's earlier projects included the Voyager round-the-world aircraft; last year, the company's Global Flyer, piloted by Steve Fossett, beat Voyager's time for global circumnavigation... and did it on a single Williams turbofan.

Responsible for building and testing 10 aircraft designs, Scaled is currently developing SpaceShipTwo -- a joint venture with Virgin Galactic to introduce space tourism in an aircraft based on the SpaceShipOne design.

As ANN reported July 21, Northrop Grumman Corp. purchased Scaled, increasing the company's stake in the maverick aerospace company from 40 percent to 100 percent.

This is Scaled's first fatal accident.

FMI: www.mojaveairport.com