The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic to fly into space again. A temporary flight ban was imposed by the regulator during the investigation of Branson's first space trip in July 2021. Then the spacecraft deviated from the given course, which threatened him with an emergency landing. The company acknowledged the incident, but said the pilots were acting according to instructions.
According to Virgin Galactic, following the audit, the company and the regulator agreed to expand the restricted area during launches, as well as to take additional measures for notification of flights in real time.
Against the background of the news, the company's shares rose by 10% on the New York Stock Exchange – to almost $ 25 per share.
In July, the FAA opened a lawsuit against a company whose spacecraft violated allotted airspace. This could be due to the fact that during takeoff, the ship's engines worked for several seconds longer than necessary. The incident threatened the spacecraft with an emergency landing. Virgin Galactic then stated that the ship's deviation from course was caused by winds in the upper atmosphere. A company spokesman assured that such incidents are being worked out in preparation for the flights.
The Secret wrote that due to litigation with the regulator, Virgin Galactic has postponed the launch of the first commercial mission, Unity 23, in conjunction with the Italian Air Force until mid-October – previously it was planned that the flight will take place in late September or early October.
Photo: YouTube / Virgin Galactic
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