US Taps NTSB to Head Future Probes of Any Fatal Space Accidents

US Taps NTSB to Head Future Probes of Any Fatal Space Accidents
The NTSB logo during a safety event for children at Trailside Middle School, in Ashburn, Va., on Aug. 25, 2015. Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00

WASHINGTON—With more private companies launching people into space, the U.S. government said Friday that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will take the lead in investigating future commercial space accidents where a person is killed or seriously injured.

The NTSB will be the lead investigative agency in those fatal or injury incidents regardless of whether the person was on board the commercial space launch or reentry vehicle, according to an agreement the NTSB signed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).