'Lost connection' hampers Virgin Galactic's test flight

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A Virgin Galactic test flight Saturday ended prematurely as the spacecraft’s rocket motor failed to ignite. It then glided down safely to its landing site in southern New Mexico. The spacecraft’s engine is supposed to ignite moments after the craft is released from a special carrier jet, sending the craft into a near-vertical climb towards the edge of space. Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement that the spaceship’s onboard computer that monitors the motor lost connection, triggering a fail-safe scenario that halted ignition. It was to be the first rocket-powered flight to space from Virgin Galactic’s headquarters at Spaceport America.