Virgin Galactic Delays Italian Flight Test; Start of Commercial Service Delayed to Q4 2022
- Recent material testing returned new data that requires further analysis
- Italian Air Force mission to follow enhancement period
- Potential supplier component issue has been resolved
- Commercial service expected to commence in Q4 2022
LAS CRUCES, NM (Virgin Galactic PR) — Virgin Galactic today announced that it will now begin its planned enhancement program for VMS Eve and VSS Unity and will conduct the Unity 23 test flight after this work is complete.
The enhancement program is designed to improve vehicle performance and flight-rate capability for VMS Eve and VSS Unity. In preparation for this work, Virgin Galactic has been performing routine tests and analyses to update its material properties database. This data predicts how materials are expected to perform under certain load and environmental conditions and is used to inform the design and manufacturing enhancements that will support increased flight frequency. One of these recent laboratory-based tests flagged a possible reduction in the strength margins of certain materials used to modify specific joints, and this requires further physical inspection.
As is standard in aerospace test and evaluation practices, Virgin Galactic ships are designed to withstand forces that are substantially higher than those experienced in regular use, providing additional margin and layers of safety. The enhancement program is designed to further increase margins that will enable improved reliability, durability and reduced maintenance requirements when in commercial service. While this new lab test data has had no impact on the vehicles, our test flight protocols have clearly defined strength margins, and further analysis will assess whether any additional work is required to keep them at or above established levels. Given the time required for this effort, the Company has determined the most efficient and expedient path to commercial service is to complete this work now in parallel with the planned enhancement program.
Following the enhancement period, the Company intends to complete the vehicle testing program for VMS Eve and VSS Unity, including the planned research test flight with the Italian Air Force, before starting commercial flights.
Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Our decisions are driven by detailed and thorough analysis, and we fly based on the most accurate and comprehensive data available. Virgin Galactic vehicles are designed with significant margins for safety, providing layers of protection that far exceed loads experienced and expected to occur on our flights. The re-sequencing of our enhancement period and the Unity 23 flight underscores our safety-first procedures, provides the most efficient path to commercial service, and is the right approach for our business and our customers. We are deeply appreciative of the Italian Air Force Research Mission and grateful for their continued partnership with us in this test flight program.”
This schedule update is unrelated to the Company’s recent inquiry into a potential defect in a supplier component announced on September 10, 2021, which has been successfully resolved. While the supplied component in question was not on either VMS Eve or VSS Unity, in accordance with safety protocols, Virgin Galactic completed detailed inspections and scans which found all components met quality and safety standards and were ready for flight. The enhancement period is now beginning approximately one month later than anticipated, and commercial service is now expected to commence in Q4 2022
16 responses to “Virgin Galactic Delays Italian Flight Test; Start of Commercial Service Delayed to Q4 2022”
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Wow, next year, as in a year from now. Sir Branson’s flight was a test flight. Yikes.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin is really chugging along and flying actual paying customers.
Well, we knew it was a test flight, one that was supposed to inaugurate the start of commercial flights for SS2. But it’s becoming more and more apparent that the flight was probably rushed to beat Bezos and have Branson on board when he was originally supposed to fly later.
The pressure seems to have resulted at least in part on some of what went wrong on that flight, such as possibly affecting the pilots’ judgement on whether or not to abort the launch when it was becoming clear that the craft was going to stray significantly outside the designated airspace.
The main deficiency of Burt Rutan’s Spaceship Two design was the requirement to fly the vehicle manually while it is shaking during boost. Machines usually don’t have fallibility of humans in space launches.
And the original insufficient safeguards on the feathering locking mechanism that allowed an accidental deployment during the boost phase that in turn destroyed VSS Enterprise and killed a pilot.
As originally pointed out to me by Doug Jones of XCOR in 2015…
http://www.processforusabil…
One thing not discussed is the question of who knew the consequences of unlocking the feather mechanism early. Was it known before that flight that an early unlocking could be catastrophic? If known, was Ashbury aware of this potential problem before the flight? As Dave Salt points out, this was a problem waiting to happen.
I am not so sure why this accident excits everyone. its almost like we are in a constant state of rerun as to the movie Fate is the Hunter
there are mistakes people make and errors…its highly likely that this was a mistake. the knowledge was there, the judgment was there but the person who made it, simply made a mistake. its quite like leaving ones keys in the car and lockingit
these mistakes have been made a lot.
Except that cars will no longer lock from the outside if they sense the keys are inside. In short that human error has been designed away with.
time moves on, but they made a decision which was “ok” in my view to not go to a full automated cockpit. there are thousands of planes flying like this. the B737 is one such plane. there are three switches that if thrown at a bad t ime can be bad, and we all saw what happens when a crew that is less does not toss the trim cutout switch
they have fixed that now…but the fix is in my view cludgy
an airbus crashed over the south atlantic because the pilots made substantial errors
this does not make the Virgin device unsafe
Although if locking the keys in the car resulted in vehicle destruction and occupants deaths, then it would have been criminal to design it so that the keys could be locked in the car. Requiring the car to be locked with the keys in hand pre-electronic for instance.
might as well be never its an admission of serious issues
Yikes! Blue Origin could well wind up stealing away a lot of customers who’re sick of waiting for a ride.
Now that this has come out officially, and were I prone to conspiracy theories, I might postulate that Branson and Virgin Galactic arranged for the Abrams letter to be published in order to try and tarnish Blue Origin.
The timing is just so coincidental and it specifically emphasizes attacks on New Shepard’s safety even as one scandal after another breaks for VG.
Virgin Galactic has outmoded technology.
Here is Virgin Galactic’s refurnished rocket for future flights, ?
<img src=”https://cdn.benzinga.com/fi…” alt=”Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), (SPCE) – Reaching For The Stars: Half Of Americans Want To Fly Into Space | Benzinga”/>