FAA investigates Branson's wayward rocket ride
Virgin Galactic pilots recovered from dangerous trajectory
Was billionaire Richard Branson’s first flight to space on July 11 in danger, or was Virgin Galactic guilty only of crossing an airspace line? An account written by an investigative journalist who has covered the company for years suggests “both” is a possible answer.
The Associated Press and other media outlets reported the basic facts starting September 2 that the FAA had ordered Virgin Galactic to conduct no further flights pending the investigation of the July flight’s trajectory, which strayed outside of the protected airspace for one minute and 41 seconds of the 15-minute rocket ride to 53.5 miles above the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Schmidle wrote that warning lights, first yellow, later red, that appeared about a minute into the rocket burn on July 11, indicated that the craft was off-course and in danger of not having enough energy available at apogee to glide back to the spaceport where the media awaited the return of Branson and the Virgin Galactic crew.
On September 2, Virgin Galactic announced its next planned flight from Spaceport America will carry paying crewmembers, two members of the Italian Air Force, and an aerospace engineer working for the National Research Council. Virgin Galactic Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses will serve as “cabin lead in space,” providing information and instructions as the mission proceeds. The flight is also expected to carry various scientific payloads.
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 told CNBC on September 2.
Virgin Galactic’s share price, which had been climbing, dropped 3 percent after the FAA investigation was announced, CNBC reported.
A Virgin Galactic spokesperson told Schmidle that the company “is guided by a fundamental commitment to safety at every level.”
AOPA ePublishing staff
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