US regulator grounds Virgin Galactic space planes as it investigates July flight
- Flight to edge of space veered off course during descent
Virgin criticizes ‘misleading characterizations’ of incident
Samira Sadeque
Thu 2 Sep 2021 19.20 BST
Virgin Galactic space planes, which the British billionaire Richard Branson used to launch his journey into space in July, have been temporarily grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while it conducts an investigation into an issue that occurred during the 11 July flight.
“Virgin Galactic may not return the SpaceShipTwo vehicle to flight until the FAA approves the final mishap investigation report or determines the issues related to the mishap do not affect public safety,” the FAA said in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday.
The announcement came shortly after an investigation was initiated into the 11 July incident with Branson’s flight on his own spaceship, which “deviated from its air traffic control clearance” as it was landing back on American soil, according to the FAA.
The Guardian has contacted the Virgin Galactic for comment on this update.
Branson’s flight was surrounded by much fanfare and criticism, with many perceiving it as a symbol of wealth gaps and questioning the carbon footprint of the missions. It came almost at the same time that fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos flew into space in his own craft.
The problem with Branson’s flight arose when a yellow light flashed on the console of the vehicle when it was landing, a sign that the flight was “too shallow and the nose of the ship was insufficiently vertical”, a New Yorker report said on Wednesday.
In a statement to the Guardian, Virgin Galactic denied claims made in the report, terming it a host of “misleading characterizations” of the incident.
“Unity 22 was a safe and successful test flight that adhered to our flight procedures and training protocols,” read the statement. “When the vehicle encountered high-altitude winds which changed the trajectory, the pilots and systems monitored the trajectory to ensure it remained within mission parameters.”
The statement acknowledged that while the flight eventually did divert from its assigned path, it was “a controlled and intentional flight path that allowed Unity 22 to successfully reach space”.
In response to the FAA’s investigation, the company pointed out that it followed its required regulations, such as maintaining its path within the lateral confines, but it did drop below its assigned altitude for one minute and 41 seconds “as a result of the trajectory adjustment”.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... estigation