Virgin Galactic has received an FAA suspension for the time being, and they are not allowed to make any launches or missions as the regulating agency is investigating its July mission. The said mission included the founder and CEO of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, which was said to have embarked on a "dangerous" trip.
Branson has successfully landed back on the planet after his July 11 flight, safe and sound, which suggested that there was nothing wrong with what the crew experienced as they went to the edge of space. However, it seems like it was not the full story, as a probe is now underway.
This was also a subsequent July flight with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, which now has controversy about departing employees and staff.
Virgin Galactic FAA Suspension on Flights
Sir Richard Branson speaks after he flew into space aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel, a voyage he described as the "experience of a lifetime" -- and one he hopes will usher in an era of lucrative space tourism at Spaceport America, near Truth and Consequences, New Mexico on July 11, 2021. - "Congratulations to all our wonderful team at Virgin Galactic for 17 years of hard, hard work to get us this far," he said during a live feed as the VSS Unity spaceship glided back to Spaceport America in New Mexico.It reached a peak altitude of around 53 miles (85 kilometers) -- beyond the boundary of space, according to the United States -- allowing the passengers to experience weightlessness and admire the Earth's curvature.The trip proceeded without drama, and touchdown occurred at around 9:40 am Mountain Time (1540 GMT), about an hour after take-off.
Virgin Galactic has been grounded, says CNN, and this means that it is also suspended for any flights towards space, in the coming months while it is still under investigation. This was because of a concern that was brought up after the flight, leading to the company's probe from the Federal Aviation Authority.
It was said that the New Yorker's Nicholas Schmidle has reported that there were several warning lights on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo dashboard, as the company was on a trajectory towards their destination.
This was ignored by the company and went on to their destination, and back to the Earth. Moreover, Schmidle revealed that the FAA has launched a probe regarding this, and has been investigating the spaceflight that was said to may have put the crew's lives in danger.
Read Also: FAA Issues a New and Stricter Eligibility Requirements for Astronauts on Commercial Spaceflights
Virgin Galactic: FAA Investigation
Virgin Galactic would have to wait for the FAA investigation to finish or conclude before even thinking about its next space flight, or aboard its spacecraft. However, this was something that the company is not intending to do in recent times, as it would take a hiatus with its space ventures until October.
According to Virgin Galactic, it would be postponing its flights in preparation for its massive mission in October, which would be the company's first commercial research mission. The Unity 23 would be done in partnership with the Italian Air Force and would be a venture partnership with the European country.
What is Happening with Virgin Galactic
Currently, Virgin Galactic is maintaining its image of being unaffected by the said FAA probe, despite being a threat to their operations or existence.
There would be a chance that Virgin's license is revoked if the agency found out anything about what went wrong with the recent mission of the multinational aviation company.
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Written by Isaiah Richard
