CAP CANAVERAL- Virgin Galactic will not be able to travel into space until an investigation into a mishap that occurred during a flight in July with founder Richard Branson on board is completed, it announced Thursday the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The ban was announced while Virgin Galactic unveiled plans to bring three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks.
The FAA has noted that the spacecraft carrying Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees on board deviated from the route during its descent to New Mexico on July 11th. The diversion took the ship out of the area authorized to control air traffic.
The government agency oversees the investigation, but the safety of the crew falls outside its jurisdiction. Virgin Galactic insisted Thursday that Branson and the other people on board were never in danger.
“Virgin Galactic will not be able to re-launch the SpaceShipTwo vehicle until the FAA approves the final accident investigation report or determines that related problems do not affect public safety,” the FAA said in a statement.
The company acknowledged that the spacecraft was under protected airspace for one minute and 41 seconds. The free flight part of the spacecraft lasted about 15 minutes and reached an altitude of 53.5 miles.
Virgin Galactic said the high-altitude wind caused the flight path to change and insisted the two pilots “responded appropriately.” In a statement, the company noted that the flight was a “safe and successful test that adhered to our training procedures and protocols.”
“At no time were passengers and crew endangered as a result of this change in trajectory,” the company noted.