Can Virgin Galactic survive this crash?

Virgin Galactic is already years behind their initial schedule. This loss will be catastrophic. Even multi billionaires can't go on forever, and I assume that he will have to be self insuring. The passengers may have to forego their right to sue, and settle for a predetermined amount of cash if they die.

There has to be some precedent for this type of contract. If you climb Mt Everest and you die, I am sure that your heirs can't sue for $10 million.

They're dead meat. Would you buy a ticket on a
Zeppelin after the Hindenburg crashed? Nobody
did and it went the way of the dodo bird.

When the first Apollo capsule caught fire, it was horrible, but it made things better for those coming after. I think this tragedy will eventually produce a safer, more reliable system. Unfortunately, a pilot had to die, but that is what he signed on for.
I am certain a passenger will have to sign a huge pile of waivers before they are allowed in the vehicle. Outside of clear negligence, I think the fact that it is inherently risky to participate in this activity clears them of liability if the thing blows up. Like riding a skateboard, or skydiving, it is clear that people get hurt and can die doing it. If you are uncomfortable with the risk, don't do it.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Outside of clear negligence, I think the fact that it is inherently risky to participate in this activity clears them of liability if the thing blows up. Like riding a skateboard, or skydiving, it is clear that people get hurt and can die doing it. If you are uncomfortable with the risk, don't do it.

I've been skydiving, and they never say anything like "this activity is very safe". Instead you sign a mountain of waivers, and they show you a video of accidents. My friend commented to me that if we die, they will show this video to our parents and grandparents to convince them that we knew what we were doing and they shouldn't sue.

But with $250K per ticket, and a very low probability of injury short of death, it would probably make more sense to have someone sign a waiver that they will be paid $1 million if they die, and for Virgin Galactic to simply cut checks for $1m times 6 people the next day along with a letter of sympathy and a note that the cashing of the check fulfills Virgin's obligation in the contract.

But the FAA and NTSB are government agencies and are going to be much more careful. Presumably a big chunk of those 700 people who signed up will want to back out.

But the company is already ten years old, and they thought they were going to have their maiden voyage by next March. What does another mult-year delay do to financing?

Quote: Ayecarumba

I think this tragedy will eventually produce a safer, more reliable system.

I don't. I think it's gone till they come
up with something like cold fusion as
a power source, which apparently is
right around the corner.

Quote: Pacomartin

But with $250K per ticket, and a[..]

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But the FAA and NTSB are government agencies and are[..]

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But the company is already ten years old, and they thought they were going to have their maiden voyage by next March. What does another mult-year delay do to financing?

But you shouldn't start three consecutive paragraphs with the same word. ;)

As much as I like Burt Rutan, I think his decision to focus on suborbital flights for the sake of gong into "space" is misguided and very limiting. He should aim for an orbital craft, at the least. Like SpaceX is doing.

Rockets are fickle, hard-to-control beasts. The margin of error is tiny. The temperatures and pressures required pretty much ensure disaster when something goes wrong, as does the volatility of the fuel. To use them for suborbital flights to nowhere seems wasteful.

Suborbital flights, though, aren't entirely useless. An ICBM in essence is a suborbital missile. The same principle could be applied to aircraft, albeit with smaller acceleration and definitely bigger deceleration. You could still achieve hypersonic speeds for part of the flight and get to, say, Sidney, from LA in under two hours. The flight wouldn't be very comfortable, and there would be a weightless interval, but it would be short (though luggage would be quite limited).