We're going to learn from what went wrong, discover how we can improve safety and performance and then move forwards together.

I truly believe that humanity's greatest achievements come out of our greatest pain. This team is a group of the bravest, the brightest, the most

determined and the most resilient of people. We are determined to honor the bravery of the

pilots and the teams here by learning from this tragedy.

Only then can we move forward, united behind a collective desire to push the boundaries of human endeavor.

Richard Branson, leader of the Virgin Group, speaking in California's Mojave Desert on November 1st, a day after the loss of spaceship 2.

Welcome to a special edition of Planetary Radio.

I'm a Kaplan of the Planetary Society.

We had planned to bring you Linda Spilker of the Cassini mission today. We're delaying that report from

Saturn so that we can devote much of this episode to the two disasters that struck commercial

space development last week. Emily Lachow Walla will be heard later in the show.

First, of course, came the October 28th explosion of orbital sciences

Antare's rocket at Wallops Island, Virginia.

Also lost was the Signis capsule. rocket at Wallops Island, Virginia.

Also lost was the Signis capsule loaded with two and a half tons of supplies and experiments

headed for the International Space Station, including a test version of the Archid Telescope from planetary resources.

No one was injured in that accident, and NASA has assured everyone that the ISS astronauts

will be fine. A greater tragedy came just three

days later. As I record this, there are indications that Space ship 2's unique

feathering twin tail swung up prematurely shortly after the suborbital

spacecraft was released by its carrier. It may be weeks or even months before

there is full understanding of what went wrong.

...