WASHINGTON: The US Federal flight administration (FAA) said on Thursday that it was a spacecraft by Virgin Galactic while investigating why the July mission of the company brought Richard Branson planned.
This step represents a blow to space tourism companies when preparing to bring customers who pay after the first complete test flight.
“FAA oversees the investigation of Virgin Galactic from Please SpaceShiptwo July 11 that occurs over Spaceport America, New Mexico,” said the agency in a short statement.
“Virgin Galactic may not return the spaceshiptwo vehicle to fly until the FAA approves the final mishap investigation report or determining the problem related to the accident does not affect public safety,” he added.
The company responds to a statement that says: “We consider this serious and currently handling the cause of the problem and determining how to prevent this from happening in the future mission.” It adds it to work with the FAA “to support a thorough review and a timely resolution of this problem.” The FAA’s decision came after a report by New Yorker said the flight experienced a cockpit warning about rocket-powered ascent which could endanger the mission.
The article, by the journalist investigating Nicholas Schmidle, said the pilot was first yellow then red lights, showing spaceplane ascent too shallow and the nose was not vertical enough.
Without corrective action, the ship will not have enough energy to glide back to its foundation.
“According to various sources in the company, the safest way to respond to the warning will occur,” Wrote Schmidle – even though Virgin has denied this.
Cancel will run the Flamboyant billionaire billionaire to defeat Jeff Bezos’s rival, whose flight itself into space is scheduled a few days later.
The pilot did not cancel and vice versa trying to fix the trajectory problem, now fly at Mach 3 with a red light.
The ship then reaches 85 kilometers (52 miles) at a height – above the definition of the US room – and lands safely, even though the data available to the public shows it has flown outside the designated path.
The decision “whether (pilot ‘or not (pilot’) is motivated by programmed pressures and the hope of the billionaire bankroller they sit in the back remains unclear,” Schmidle wrote.
Virgin Galactic told AFP denied “characterization and conclusions misleading in New article York.
“When vehicles meet high altitude winds that change the trajectory, pilots and systems monitor the trajectory to ensure it remains in the mission parameter,” he said in a statement.
“The pilot we responded appropriately to change the condition of this flight exactly as it has been trained and appropriate With our predefined procedure.
“The company recognizes the flight” falls below the altitude permitted “for one minute and 43 seconds, but emphasizes:” In a short time traveling on the center of the population or causing a danger to the public.
“Virgin Galactic has close calls and accidents in the past – especially in 2014 when SEP UAH crashes killing a pilot and injuring the others.
Schmidle also wrote that key personnel that are critical of the company’s safety culture have resigned or fired.
Virgin Galactic shares fell immediately after the news but then recovered slightly to lose three percent at business closure.
It was a sudden change in wealth for a high-driving company on what seemed to be a very successful flight, which Branson described as “a lifetime experience.” Jaunt 15-minute-long, along with Bezos flights on the blue rocket nine days later, seem to have delivered a new era of space tourism after decades of development.
Last month, Virgin Galactic announced the restart sales of tickets for $ 450,000, about double the amount paid by around 600 people who had previously ordered a chair.
It is not clear whether the next test flight, involving members of the Italian Air Force will take place on schedule at the end of September or early October.