Did Virgin Galactic's flight that was to usher in the era of commercial space flights actually run into trouble?
The US Aviation Agency (FAA) said Thursday it was investigating the flight that occurred last July.
While Virgin Galactic had yet assured at the time that the flight had proceeded as planned, the vessel would have deviated from its trajectory, and therefore from the airspace dedicated to the mission.
“During the July 11, 2021 flight, Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo's vehicle deviated from its air traffic control clearance while returning to Spaceport America,” the space base used by the company in the New Mexico desert, said the FAA.
Should the company have interrupted the mission
This confirmation comes after the publication of a
New Yorker
investigation
that revealed the incident.
The log explains that security alerts and a red light illuminated in the cockpit, synonymous with a serious problem that could have resulted in a fatal outcome.
The trajectory problem threatened to compromise the return phase to Earth, when the spacecraft hovered until it landed on a runway.
Citing anonymous sources within the company, the newspaper specifies that the safest way to react to these alerts would have been to interrupt the mission.
A failure would have tarnished the image of Virgin Galactic
Among the four passengers on the flight was billionaire and company founder Richard Branson.
A failure would have greatly damaged the image of Virgin Galactic, which had invited all the press and many prestigious spectators, including billionaire Elon Musk, for this event broadcast live.
The two pilots on board decided to continue the mission despite these lights, and the landing finally went smoothly.
"We take issue with the descriptions and conclusions of the
New Yorker
article
," Virgin Galactic said in a statement.
"When the vehicle was confronted with high altitude winds, which altered the trajectory, the pilots and systems monitored the trajectory to ensure that it remained within the parameters of the mission," detailed the 'business.
“Our pilots responded appropriately to these changing flight conditions.
Neither the public nor the crew were endangered, Virgin Galactic argued.
“Although the final path deviated from our initial plan, it was an intentional and controlled flight path,” she said.
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