Pilot dies as Branson rocket crashes in desert

One pilot died and another was seriously injured after a rocket belonging to billionaire Richard Branson’s space tourism venture crashed during a test flight, US authorities said.

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket came down in the Mojave Desert in California. A witness said the craft exploded in flight after ignition.

A Virgin Galactic spokesman said the rocket “suffered a serious anomaly” after a test flight conducted by partner business Scaled Composites.