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.
Several would-be space tourists have applied to Virgin Galactic for refunds following last month's doomed test flight.
Company chief executive George Whitesides said "a few" of its 800 customers have pulled out of taking part in a future mission into space.
It comes after co-pilot Michael Alsbury, 39,died when the test flight aircraft crashedin the Mojave Desert in California on October 31. Surviving pilot Peter Siebold, 43, was said to be alert and speaking with family members and medical staff in hospital days after the fatal launch.
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.