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FAA investigating Virgin Galactic's July flight into space

Virgin Galactic
Posted at 3:12 PM, Sep 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-02 15:13:25-04

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating Virgin Galactic's July flight into space.

According to the Associated Press, the company is banned from launching into space because the plane carrying founder Richard Branson and five employees veered off course as it descended back to New Mexico.

The New Yorker reported that the warning lights on the ship's console began blinking, which signaled a trajectory problem.

On Thursday, Virgin Galactic insisted that no one on board was ever in any added danger but did acknowledge that the spacecraft dropped below the altitude it was approved for one minute and 41 seconds, the AP reported.

According to the AP, the ban comes as Virgin Galactic was scheduled in a few weeks to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space.