Virgin Galactic Reports Flight Issue to FAA
February 05 2024 - 5:00PM
Business Wire
Standard post-flight review found an alignment
pin detached from the mothership during the ‘Galactic 06’
flight
The alignment pin performed all primary
functions during mated flight
At no time was there a safety impact to
mothership, spaceship, crew on board or people on the ground
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or
“Virgin Galactic”) today announced that during routine post-flight
reviews following its most recent spaceflight, ‘Galactic 06,’ the
Company became aware that an alignment pin detached from the launch
pylon of our mothership, VMS Eve, during flight. The Company
notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 31 in
accordance with regulations and is conducting a review in
conjunction with the FAA.
‘Galactic 06’ was a safe and successful flight that was
conducted in accordance with Virgin Galactic’s rigorous flight
procedures and protocols. At no time did the detached alignment pin
pose a safety impact to the vehicles or the crew on board. Virgin
Galactic flights occur in restricted airspace and at specific
geographical launch locations that control the hazards to people or
structures on the ground. The Company also observed no damage to
the spaceship or the mothership.
The alignment pin helps ensure the spaceship is aligned to the
mothership when mating the vehicles on the ground during pre-flight
procedures. During mated flight, as the vehicles climb towards
release altitude, the alignment pin helps transfer drag and other
forces from the spaceship to the shear pin fitting assembly and
into the pylon and center wing of the mothership. The shear pin
fitting assembly remained both attached and intact on the
mothership with no damage. While both parts play a role during
mated flight, they do not support the spaceship’s weight, nor do
they have an active function once the spaceship is released.
The alignment pin and shear pin fitting assembly performed as
designed during the mated portion of the flight, and only the
alignment pin detached after the spaceship was released from the
mothership.
Virgin Galactic will provide a further update at the completion
of the review and will confirm the flight window for the ‘Galactic
07’ mission, which is planned for the second quarter of 2024.
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company,
pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and
researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. Scale and
profitability are driven by next generation vehicles capable of
bringing humans to space at an unprecedented frequency with an
industry-leading cost structure. You can find more information at
https://www.virgingalactic.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in
this press release other than statements of historical fact,
including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company
working with the FAA to conduct a review relating to the Galactic
06 mission and the timing of such review, and the proposed timing
of the Company’s next planned mission, Galactic 07, are
forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,”
“estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,”
“expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,”
“plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking
statements use these words or expressions. These statements are
neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including
but not limited to, any delay in future commercial flights of our
spaceflight fleet, the safety of our spaceflight systems, and the
other, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as such
factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on
the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section
of our website at www.virgingalactic.com, which could cause our
actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such
forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of
the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim
any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views
to change.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240205720601/en/
For media inquiries: Aleanna Crane - Vice President
Communications news@virgingalactic.com 575-800-4422 For investor
inquiries: Eric Cerny - Vice President Investor Relations
vg-ir@virgingalactic.com 949-774-7637
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