Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flight investigated by US regulators

[Eugene]

Original report: The Red Warning Light on Richard Branson’s Space Flight (The New Yorker)

Also: Virgin Galactic disputes New Yorker story on Branson spaceflight (BBC)

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Source: The Guardian

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space flight investigated by US regulators

• Flight to edge of space veered off course during descent
• Virgin criticizes ‘misleading characterizations’ of incident

Samira Sadeque
Thu 2 Sep 2021 16.40 BST

British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s flight on his own spaceship is under investigation from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) owing to a disturbance on his brief 11 July journey to space.

On Thursday, the FAA told the Guardian that an investigation was under way into the Virgin Galactic flight that “deviated from its air traffic control clearance” as it landed back on American soil.

The flight was surrounded by much fanfare and criticism, perceived 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.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/sep/02/richard-branson-virgin-galactic-faa-investigation


Virgin Galactic said Unity encountered unexpected winds at high altitude (Virgin Galactic)

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Source: BBC

Virgin Galactic disputes New Yorker story on Branson spaceflight

Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent
@BBCAmoson Twitter

2 September 2021

The US Federal Aviation Administration says it's investigating how Sir Richard Branson's recent space flight drifted off course during its climb skyward.

The British billionaire fulfilled his life's dream on 11 July by riding his Virgin Galactic rocket plane, Unity, above 85km (52 miles) in altitude.

But the New Yorker magazine has revealed how the vehicle flew for a period outside its pre-agreed airspace.

Unity landed safely and Virgin Galactic says it is cooperating with the FAA.

Sir Richard's company issued a statement in which it strongly disputed what it described as "misleading characterisations and conclusions" in the New Yorker article.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58421796

[lagomorph777]

1. Could have gone badly, and should have been better planned (bigger airspace?)...

...but this seems like a small story.