Michael Alsbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Alsbury
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| Born | March 19, 1975 Santa Clara, California, U.S.
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| Died | October 31, 2014 (aged 39) Mojave Desert near Cantil, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | California Polytechnic State University (BS) |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
| Space career | |
Virgin Galactic commercial astronaut (honorary) |
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| Missions | None |
Michael Tyner Alsbury (born March 19, 1975 – died October 31, 2014) was a brave American test pilot. He worked for a company called Scaled Composites. Sadly, he passed away during a test flight of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo called VSS Enterprise. This happened on October 31, 2014.
Contents
About Michael Alsbury's Life
Michael Alsbury was born in Santa Clara, California. He grew up in Scotts Valley, California. In 1993, he graduated from Soquel High School. He was the top student in his class.
Early Life and Hobbies
Michael was an Eagle Scout when he was younger. He also enjoyed playing soccer. From a young age, he loved flying. He earned his pilot's license at age 23.
Education and Family
He studied at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. There, he earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. After college, he started working at Scaled Composites. He was married to Michelle Saling for 12 years. They had two children together. At the time of his death, his children were 7 and 10 years old. His family lived in Tehachapi, California. Michael also enjoyed fly fishing. He was a big fan of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
Michael Alsbury's Career as a Pilot
Michael Alsbury joined Scaled Composites in 2001. He worked as a project engineer and a pilot.
First Powered Flight
In April 2013, he was the co-pilot for an important flight. This was the first time the VSS Enterprise and SpaceShipTwo flew using their own power. He flew with another pilot named Mark Stucky.
Flight Experience and Awards
Michael had a lot of flying experience. He had flown for 1800 hours in total. About 1600 of those hours were as a test pilot. He worked as a test pilot and engineer for Scaled Composites. In 2013, he received the Ray E. Tenhoff Award. This award is for the best technical paper at a special pilot meeting. He shared this award with Mark Stucky and Clint Nichols.
The Final Flight
On October 31, 2014, Michael was testing the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo. It was the VSS Enterprise. He was flying with Peter Siebold. During the flight, the spacecraft broke apart. The VSS Enterprise was completely destroyed. It crashed in the Mojave Desert in California. Michael Alsbury was unable to leave the spacecraft. His remains were found still in his seat. The other pilot, Peter Siebold, survived the accident. This was the ninth time Michael had flown this particular aircraft.
Michael Alsbury's Legacy
Michael Alsbury is remembered for his contributions.
Tributes and Recognition
On November 4, 2014, a TV show honored him. It was episode 5 of BBC One's Human Universe. The show was presented by Brian Cox. It had a part about another Virgin Galactic pilot, David Mackay. The episode was dedicated to Michael.
In 2020, his name was added to the Space Mirror Memorial. This memorial honors astronauts who have died. In 2021, he was given a special award after his death. He received the FAA Commercial Astronaut Wings.
See also
- VSS Enterprise crash
