Virgin Galactic hopes to begin testing a new version of SpaceShipTwo by the end of the year , according to the company ’ s chief executive . Its previous plane was destroyed in a crash in the Mojave Desert in October 2014 . The company said it is planning to use lessons learned from the crash to ensure that the new spacecraft works ‘ better ’ . Scroll down for video . Chief executive George Whitesides has said the new spacecraft ( shown in construction ) is nearly ready . He said it could begin test flights by the end of this year . Its predecessor was destroyed in the Mojave Desert on 31 October 2014 . Co-pilot Michael Alsbury was killed and pilot Peter Siebold was injured . The comments were made by chief executive George Whitesides at the annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs , reported the Financial Times . ‘ The first message that I wanted to communicate is that we are moving forward well , ’ Mr Whitesides told the audience . ‘ The team is doing great and has turned a corner - that is the second spaceship. ’ Ticket cost : The starting price for flights is £150,000 ( $ 250,000 ) . The first will be by Richard Branson and his family . Training : Passengers are required to go through a 'Pre-Flight Experience Programme ' , including three days of pre-flight preparing onsite at the spaceport to ensure passengers are physically and mentally fit to fly . Once aboard : SpaceShipTwo will carry six passengers and two pilots . Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows - one to the side and one overhead . Flight path : A climb to 50,000ft ( 15,000 metres ) before the rocket engine ignites and SpaceShipTwo separates from its carrier aircraft , White Knight II . Passengers become 'astronauts ' when they reach the Karman line 62 miles ( 100km ) up . Virgin Galactic has not named this vehicle yet . The first was called SW12 8QYVSS Enterprise . Construction on the spacecraft began in 2012 , as Virgin Galactic always planned to have more than one craft . 'Assembly of SpaceShipTwo Serial 2 is now 75 per cent complete , and we are on track to start the vehicle ’ s test program this year , ' a spokesperson from the company told MailOnline . 'This programme includes both ground and flight tests , the exact timing of which will be dictated by safety and readiness rather than deadlines . ' The previous SpaceShipTwo was destroyed on 31 October 2014 when co-pilot Michael Alsbury accidentally pulled a lever that activated the craft ’ s ‘ feathering system ’ . This is used to help the vehicle slow down and return from space - but deploying it at the wrong moment caused the spacecraft to disintegrate . Alsbury was killed in the resultant crash , while pilot Peter Siebold was seriously injured - but somehow survived when he was thrown clear of the cockpit in his seat . While the fault appears to have been down to human error - and not a mechanical fault - the National Transportation Safety Board is yet to publish its report on the crash . The first SpaceShipTwo spacecraft , VSS Enterprise ( pictured ) , was destroyed when co-pilot Michael Alsbury accidentally pulled a level that activated the craft ’ s ‘ feathering system ’ at high speeds . Deploying it at the wrong moment caused the spacecraft to disintegrate . ‘ The team is doing great and has turned a corner - that is the second spaceship , ' said chief executive George Whitesides , left . Richard Branson , right , has previously spoken of his desire to push forward . While the crash of VSS Enterprise ( shown ) appears to have been down to human error - and not mechanical - the National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ) is yet to publish its report . Debris was scattered across the Mojave Desert following the crash . Although Alsbury was killed , Siebold was able to somehow survive when his seat was thrown clear of the disintegrating cockpit . One issue is that spacecraft are normally required to be capable of handling two errors . But in this case only one - the pulling of the lever - was enough to cause a catastrophic failure . Mr Whitesides was confident , though , that the company could overcome the disaster . ‘ I think , ultimately , we will have a better spaceship for it , ’ he said , adding that they still had ‘ roughly 700 [ customers ] who are eager to fly. ’ Celebrities among the 700 who have tickets include Ashton Kutcher ( left ) and Leonardo DiCaprio ( right ) While SpaceShipTwo was destroyed , the White Knight II plane carrying it - shown - remained intact , and will likely be used again for the successor .
Chief executive George Whitesides says new spacecraft is nearly ready . He said it could begin test flights by the end of this year . Its predecessor was destroyed in the Mojave Desert on 31 October 2014 . Co-pilot Peter Siebold was killed and pilot Michael Alsbury was injured .