Richard Branson
Controlled by British billionaire Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic is facing new challenges, according to SpaceNews.
The publication writes that an unnamed supplier has notified the company of a potential manufacturing defect in a component of the flight control system of the suborbital ship Unity. Virgin Galactic added that it is consulting with a contractor to determine the feasibility of repairing or replacing the related equipment.
The company noted that the next Unity flight will take place no earlier than mid-October.
In September, the New Yorker, citing the US Civil Aviation Administration, reported that Virgin Galactic's suborbital ship Unity was deviating from its original course on its maiden flight with a full crew, including Branson.
In July, British businessman Richard Branson flew to an altitude of more than 80 kilometers aboard a Unity orbital plane produced by his own company Virgin Galactic. Along with the billionaire, the crew included pilots Dave McKay and Michael Masucci, Virgin Galactic Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses, Lead Operations Engineer Colin Bennett and the company's vice president of government affairs, Sirish Bundle.
