Michael Alsbury

Engineer and test pilot for SpaceShipTwo

Michael Alsbury - Scientists & Innovators born 1975
Born

1975
51 years ago

Died
Category

Scientists & Innovators

Country

United States

Links & References

An engineer and test pilot who contributed significantly to the development of commercial spaceflight. Worked with Scaled Composites, where pivotal tests were conducted for the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. Involved in designing and testing innovative aerospace technologies. Played a central role in the SpaceShipTwo program until the tragic accident in 2014, which occurred during a test flight aimed at achieving suborbital space travel.

Test pilot for SpaceShipTwo

Contributed to commercial spaceflight development

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