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3 Dead in Space Center Blast

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 27, 2007 5:42 AM CDT

(Newser) – A third person has died from injuries suffered in an explosion at a Mojave Desert airport where part of billionaire Richard Branson's private space program is being developed, AP reports. The blast occurred during testing of a nitrous oxide propellant system for a space tourism vehicle. Three people were hospitalized, two of them with critical injuries.

The facility is is owned by Scaled Composites, the company, headed by aerospace maverick Burt Rutan, which built SpaceShipOne, the first private manned rocket to reach space. Workers were developing a successor, SpaceShipTwo, for Branson's Virgin Galactic. Trips into space, scheduled to begin in 2009, will cost $200,000.

A hazardous materials response team gathers before driving out to an explosion that killed two people and critically injured four others,Thursday, July 26, 2007, at Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave,... (Associated Press)

In this photo made from video provided by KCAL 9 television, shows an explosion site at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, Calif. on Thursday July 26, 2007. Two people were killed and four others... (Associated Press)

Emergency vehicles line up near the site of an explosion that killed two people and critically injured four others,Thursday, July 26, 2007, at Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, Calif. The blast at... (Associated Press)

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Blast at Space Port

Richard Branson • Virgin Galactic • explosion • Mojave Air and Space Port • Mojave Desert • SpaceShipTwo • Scaled Composites • Burt Rutan • SpaceShipOne

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More Newser Stories

Space Plane Takes First Test Flight

Mothership and spaceship flew for 3 hours in 'captive carry' test

Mojave Spaceport Blast Kills 2

Four others hurt at company behind first manned rocket

Space Tourism Gets New 2-Seater

Calif. company is second aiming to take passengers to new heights

Branson Unveils SpaceShipTwo

Double-hulled plane will carry rocket to high altitude

Virgin Galactic Spacecraft Makes First Solo Flight

Private spacecraft on course to take paying passengers to space

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