Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic agreed that the historic July 11 flight carrying the British billionaire did veer into unprotected airspace for some time, but it was an intentional move by the pilots and that the crew and passengers were never in any harm.
The New Yorker reported that Branson’s flight to the edge of outer space is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration for deviating from designated airspace mid-flight.
Two mission pilots were alerted to a mid-flight yellow and red-light warning that should have prompted them to abort the mission, the New Yorker added. But the flight continued and finally landed safely.
The article is written by Nicholas Schmidle, who had published a book on the history of Virgin Galactic earlier this year.
“We dispute the misleading characterisations and conclusions in the New Yorker article published,” said a Virgin Galactic statement.
“The safety of our crew and passengers is Virgin Galactic’s top priority. Our entire approach to spaceflight is guided by a fundamental commitment to safety at every level, including our spaceflight system, our test flight program and our rigorous pilot training protocol.
“Unity 22 was a safe and successful test flight that adhered to our flight procedures and training protocols. When the vehicle encountered high altitude winds which changed the trajectory, the pilots and systems monitored the trajectory to ensure it remained within mission parameters. Our pilots responded appropriately to these changing flight conditions exactly as they have been trained and in strict accordance with our established procedures.
“Although the flight’s ultimate trajectory deviated from our initial plan, it was a controlled and intentional flight path that allowed Unity 22 to successfully reach space and land safely at our Spaceport in New Mexico. At no time were passengers and crew put in any danger as a result of this change in trajectory.
“The Unity 22 flight did not fly outside of the lateral confines of the protected airspace. As a result of the trajectory adjustment, the flight did drop below the altitude of the airspace that is protected for Virgin Galactic missions for a short distance and time (1 minute and 41 seconds) before re-entering restricted airspace that is protected all the way to the ground for Virgin Galactic missions. At no time did the ship travel above any population centres or cause a hazard to the public.
“FAA representatives were present in our control room during the flight and in post-flight debriefs. We are working in partnership with the FAA to address the airspace for future flights.”
An FAA spokesperson said in a statement: “During the July 11, 2021 flight, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo vehicle deviated from Air Traffic Control clearance on its return to Spaceport America. The FAA’s investigation is ongoing.”
