Virgin Galactic spacecraft banned from flight after incident
The Virgin Galactic spacecraft during its first flight in space on July 11, 2021. Patrick T. FALLON AFP
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3 min
On July 11, Richard Branson boasted of being the first to perform a commercial flight in space without a hitch.
A different version is unveiled today following the opening of an investigation by the American Aviation Authority (FAA), which decided to ground the Virgin Galactic aircraft.
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Announced as
the first commercial flight
allowing wealthy customers to afford a few minutes of weightlessness, the aircraft of the company Virgin Galactic is today prevented from carrying out new missions.
Contrary to
what had been touted
by its leader Richard Branson after the first flight made by the firm, the theft did not go without a hitch.
According to
a
New Yorker
investigation
,
a red warning light illuminated in the ship's cockpit and was ignored by the crew.
"
SpaceShipTwo has deviated from its air traffic control clearance by returning to Spaceport America,
" the space base used by the company in the New Mexico desert, the
FAA said
.
A problem that could have compromised the return to earth of the machine which hovers until it lands on an airstrip.
The next compromised flights
Virgin Galactic responded by ensuring
"to work in partnership with the FAA to review the short period during which the vessel fell below the permissible altitude
", adding that it was taking the problem
"seriously
" and that it was seeking to determine "
how to prevent this from happening again in future missions
".
More fear than harm therefore for the travelers who returned safe and sound on Earth, but this problem angered the FAA who decided to open an investigation and to ban any new SpaceShipTwo mission while the flight was taking place. investigation.
A very bad news for Virgin Galactic which had announced Thursday, just before the opening of this investigation, the holding of a new flight by the end of the month, today compromised.
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