Get All Access for $5/mo

FAA Clears Virgin Galactic for Take Off The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its inquiry into Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity July space flight.

By Emily Rella Edited by Emily Rella

PATRICK T. FALLON | Getty Images

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its inquiry into Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity July space flight. Virgin Galactic is free to blast off again.

Agency officials and the space flight company announced the conclusion of the investigation into the July 11 test flight on Wednesday.

Per Virgin Galactic, the corrective actions the company proposed were accepted by the FAA. They include updated calculations to expand the protected airspace for future flights as well as additional steps into the company's flight procedures that will ensure real-time mission notifications to FAA Air Traffic Control.

Related: Virgin Galactic Stock Drops After Test Flight Postponed

CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement to accompany the announcement, "Our entire approach to spaceflight is guided by a fundamental commitment to safety at every level, including our spaceflight system and our test flight program. We appreciate the FAA's thorough review of this inquiry. Our test flight program is specifically designed to continually improve our processes and procedures. The updates to our airspace and real-time mission notification protocols will strengthen our preparations as we move closer to the commercial launch of our spaceflight experience."

In an earlier statement last month, the company said its Unity 23 test flight with the Italian Air Force is slated for mid-October. At the time, Virgin Galactic said the timing of the flight was "pending resolution of the FAA matter."

News of the probe broke in early September. After the New Yorker reported that the regulatory agency was looking into a deviation in the July 11 flight's descent, the FAA confirmed to Reuters and other outlets that Branson's aircraft "deviated from its Air Traffic Control Clearance as it returned to Spaceport America. The FAA investigation is ongoing."

In response, Virgin Galactic acknowledged that the trajectory of the flight did deviate from the company's original plan, but "did not fly outside of the lateral confines of the protected airspace."

According to the New Yorker report, a red light flashed on the vehicle's console to indicate an "entry glide-cone-warning." The Virgin Galactic statement said the company diesputed "the misleading characterizations and conclusions in the New Yorker article."

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Growing a Business

He Left the Corporate World to Pursue His Passion for the Outdoors. 25 Years Later, His Business Is Thriving Thanks to These 4 Principles.

Cliff Bressler shares how he started Nature's Friends Landscaping — and continues to thrive today — on a recent episode of 'Behind the Review.'

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Science & Technology

Cyber Attacks Are Inevitable — So Stop Preparing For If One Happens and Start Preparing For When One Will

Cyber resilience is not just about building walls of protection but also having the resilience to bounce back stronger. This article explains why embracing resilience should be a top priority for businesses to ensure continuity in the ever-expanding cybersecurity landscape.

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.