Virgin Galactic acknowledged experiencing an in-flight hardware issue during its recent crewed space tourism flight, according to the company founded by Richard Branson on Monday. The issue was related to a pin used to align Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane, VSS Unity, and its carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, which became detached during the Jan. 26 flight. The company clarified that the pin does not support the weight of the spaceplane during the climb to altitude. Virgin Galactic assured that the detached alignment pin did not pose a safety impact to the vehicles or the crew on board. The company discovered the issue during routine post-flight reviews and promptly informed the Federal Aviation Administration on Jan. 31.
Virgin Galactic has been engaged in commercial spaceflight operations since 2023, following nearly two decades of development. Despite its progress, the company has encountered various in-flight challenges over the years. In 2021, during the spaceplane’s flight with founder Branson on board, the vehicle deviated from its intended flight path, prompting an investigation by the FAA. Additionally, in 2014, a Virgin Galactic operated spaceplane crashed due to a premature shift in its wings, resulting in the death of one pilot and injuring another.
The company is now working in collaboration with the FAA to conduct a review and has planned further updates, including confirming the timing of its next mission, currently scheduled between April and June. This review comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the FAA and the aerospace industry, particularly following the fallout from manufacturing issues with Boeing Co.’s 737 Max 9 jets. It’s worth noting that the FAA is currently prohibited from mandating safety standards on commercial spacecraft that carry humans to space, but this legislative moratorium is set to expire on March 8.
Virgin Galactic’s Jan. 26 flight marked the first time the company sent four tourists to space without a Virgin Galactic astronaut serving as support staff. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
