Skip to main content

Virgin Galactic cleared to resume space flights following FAA investigation

After being grounded by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation last month, space tourism company Virgin Galactic has now been cleared to resume its space flights.

The FAA was investigating what happened on the flight which carried Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson to the edge of space on July 11 this year. During that flight, the craft VSS Unity veered off course and a caution light was illuminated, according to a report in the New Yorker. The flight took off and landed safely, but the report raised concerns about the safety of the flight for those on board.

The FAA was also concerned about the communications between Virgin Galactic and Air Traffic Control, as the deviations in the flight trajectory were not communicated as they should have been, according to a statement emailed to space.com.

Virgin Galactic announced this week that the FAA investigation has now been concluded and that the company had proposed “corrective actions” to address the safety concerns which had been accepted by the agency. These actions include designating a larger airspace for future Virgin Galactic flights to make sure there is enough space for varying flight trajectories and updating its flight procedures to keep Air Traffic Control informed about flight status in real-time.

In a statement, Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Our entire approach to spaceflight is guided by a fundamental commitment to safety at every level, including our spaceflight system and our test flight program. We appreciate the FAA’s thorough review of this inquiry. Our test flight program is specifically designed to continually improve our processes and procedures. The updates to our airspace and real-time mission notification protocols will strengthen our preparations as we move closer to the commercial launch of our spaceflight experience.”

Now Virgin Galactic can go ahead with its next mission, the Unity 23 test flight, which will carry three members of the Italian Air Force to the edge of space. This flight had been planned for late September or early October, but will now be pushed to mid October. The company says it will announce the exact date for the flight after consultation with the Italian Air Force.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina is the Digital Trends space writer, covering human space exploration, planetary science, and cosmology. She…
How to watch Virgin Galactic’s first commercial rocket flight on Thursday
VSS Unity during a test flight to the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic: Meet the Galactic 01 Crew

After years of testing its rocket-powered plane, Virgin Galactic is finally ready to launch its first commercial flight on Thursday, June 29.

Read more
Virgin Galactic reveals date for its first commercial spaceflight
VSS Unity during a test flight to the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic will embark on its first-ever commercial spaceflight in less than two weeks’ time, the company has announced.

The rocket-powered flight will mark the start of a new phase for Virgin Galactic following years of testing that saw numerous delays and also a crash that killed a pilot.

Read more
Virgin Galactic shares footage of final space tourism flight test
Virgin Galactic's space plane heading to the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic has successfully completed what should be its final test flight before launching commercial services for its sub-orbital rocket flights next month.

Thursday's mission was the second fully crewed test flight following the first one in 2021 when Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson flew with five others to the edge of space in the rocket-powered VSS Unity aircraft.

Read more