Two killed in blast at Branson rocket firm in US

A huge explosion killed two workers and critically injured four others at a Mojave Desert airport site used by a pioneering aerospace company linked to Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism business.

Last night’s blast at a Mojave Air and Space Port building belonging to Scaled Composites, which sent the first private manned rocket into space, released nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, into the air.

All the victims worked for Scaled, the Mojave, California-based builder of SpaceShipOne, the first private manned rocket to reach space.

Aerospace designer Burt Rutan, who heads Scaled but was away, rushed back to Mojave early today. He appeared emotional, hugging the airport manager and fire chief. His voice trailed off at times as he spoke to reporters.

No information about the victims was released because families were being notified.

Rutan said the blast did not involve a rocket firing but happened during a test of the flow of nitrous oxide through an injector during the testing of components for a new rocket motor for the upcoming SpaceShipTwo.

The nitrous oxide was at room temperature and under pressure, Rutan said.

Rutan gave little additional information about the test, but said it had been done safely many times during the SpaceShipOne programme and had been done once before for the SpaceShipTwo programme.

“We were doing a test we believe was safe. We don’t know why it exploded. We just don’t know,” he said.

SpaceShipTwo is to be used for Virgin Galactic, which plans to offer rides into space for tourists.

Authorities did not allow access to the blast site in a remote unpaved area about a quarter of a mile beyond an aircraft storage area.

Video news helicopters showed wrecked equipment and vehicles at the airport in the high desert north of Los Angeles, near Edwards Air Force Base.

Scaled uses nitrous oxide as an oxidiser in its rockets, which are tested at the airport. An oxidiser provides the oxygen that rocket fuel needs to burn. Scaled’s website notes that “temperatures and pressures must be carefully controlled” during oxidiser transfers.

Two people were killed, four were critically injured and one received minor injuries, said Mark Corum, a spokesman for Hall Ambulance Service.

The injured were airlifted to Kern Medical Centre, about 45 miles from the airport.