Virgin Galactic crash: 20 out of 700 would-be space tourists cancel reservations

In the wake of the fatal crash that killed one of the two pilots manning the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo last week, about 20 of the 800 would-be tourists have cancelled their reservations.

Virgin confirmed that it has seen cancellations from about three percent of the people registered on its waitlist, reported The Verge.

The spacecraft went down during its 35th test flight over California's Mojave Desert, killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury and injuring pilot Peter Siebold. Almost 800 tourists had signed for the journey and had deposited 250,000 dollars each.

Virgin Galactic chief Sir Richard Branson had said that the space tourism company will continue to work towards achieving common goals but will not "push on blindly."

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Christopher Hart, who is leading the investigation into the crash, has said that the spacecraft exploded after an in-flight breakup but added that the fuel tank and the engine were intact. Officials are still probing what caused the crash.