The investigation into what caused the Virgin Galactic test flight to crash could take as long as 12 months, lead investigator Chris Hart has said.
Mr Hart, who is acting head of the National Transportation Safety Board, also told reporters that his team would interview injured co-pilot Peter Siebold when he was ready.
Officials from the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) have started their investigation into what caused SpaceShipTwo craft, which had been undergoing testing in California's Mohave desert to crash on Friday.
In a press conference Christopher Hart of the NTSB said the investigation at the scene - which spans five miles - could take between four and seven days. The overall investigation is expected to take up to 12 months, he said, adding that interviews have already begun.
He added that six cameras were on board the aircraft, although could not say whether all had been recovered.
Mr Hart said they have "extensive data" available to them as test flights are "heavily documented" in ways other flights are not.
He confirmed one parachute was found near where the survivor pilot was found, while the other had remained "undeployed".
He confirmed the probe will not stop Virgin Galactic from operations but said the NTSB can and would issue recommendations during their probe if they felt it necessary.
Faced with a five-mile debris trail and masses of technical data, the team investigating the crash of SpaceShipTwo have their work cut out.
The loss is a tragedy for this small tight-knit team that dreams of making the trip into space accessible to travellers not just astronauts.