Pilot piloted a spacecraft:

Seriously injured when he got out of the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft, Peter Siebold tried to use his remaining sanity to raise his thumb to signal that he was fine.

>>>Investigation of a broken ship in the desert

Mike Alsbury and Peter Siebold sat in the driver's seat, wearing thin suits, oxygen masks and an emergency umbrella when SpaceShipTwo (SS2) was separated from a plane carrying WhiteKnightTwo, around 10 am on the 31st. /ten. Affected by gravity when the spacecraft is rushing at 1,500 km / h, they are gripped in the driver's seat.

However, only a few minutes later, disaster happened. The preliminary investigation showed that the SS2 folding wing unit, which was designed to slow down and maintain a safe landing speed, was deployed early. That caused the ship to crack under the impact of the surrounding turbulence.

Mike Alsbury (right) and Peter Siebold, two pilots on a test flight of SpaceShipTwo on October 31.(Photo: AP)

Mike is trapped in the cockpit and killed. While Peter had somehow removed his seat belt, parachuted out and escaped when he dived at a speed of 193km / h. The emergency parachute exploded at an altitude of about 6,000 m, but it is unclear whether it was disconnected or opened automatically by Peter. This is the type that has the function of automatically opening at a certain height, the room when the pilot becomes unconscious in a dangerous situation. Unexpected pressure reduction and strong G force make the pilot lose consciousness for a few seconds.

"I can't remember anything that happened but I must have tried to recover while falling. I remember greeting the chasing plane and raising my thumb to tell them that I am fine, I know that it is a miracle when I survived, " Peter Siebold, recounted.

After the accident, he returned home to Tehachapi, California. Klaus Siebold said that despite serious injuries, including shoulder injuries, his son was recovering quite well.

"Peter did not know how to get out of the ship. Both had no ejection seats (the kind of seats that can save pilots in an emergency situation.) They had only one exit and had to crawl toward the hole. "The plane is suddenly broken," said Klaus, a former pilot, said.

After the accident, Peter is gradually recovering and being cared for at home. He injured his right shoulder, affected his ribs, lungs and had eye problems. According to Klaus, it is a miracle that his son survived in the absence of oxygen, inappropriate temperature and damage from sudden pressure changes.

SpaceShipTwo during launch, separated from aircraft carrying WhiteKnightTwo and exploded.(Photo: AP)

In the Mojave Desert, California state, two large pieces of the hull broke on the ground. Mike's body was found in ruins with an unopened parachute.

"Mike's children and my grandchildren followed that flight test, so the psychological impact of this incident was terrible. Mike was our friend and neighbor. Peter was always self ask me if it can do anything more, and why it can escape while Mike doesn't , " Klaus said.

After the incident, the investigation of the cause of the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft is underway and is expected to be completed in about a year. Since this is a test flight, the data is stored more than regular flights. 6 ship-named cameras can provide important data and evidence.

SS2's accident was a big step back on the ambition of bringing people to the edge of space, at an altitude of about 100 km, with a fare of $ 250,000 each.