Despite Warnings, Virgin Galactic Flew Outside Designated Path: Report

On Thursday, the US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement to AFP it was probing the flight because it had deviated from its planned trajectory.

A yellow warning light, followed by a red: Richard Branson's July 11 voyage to space experienced cockpit warnings about its rocket-powered ascent that could have jeopardized the mission, according to a new report by The New Yorker. On Thursday, the US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement to AFP it was probing the flight because it had deviated from its planned trajectory. "During its July 11, 2021 flight, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo vehicle deviated from its Air Traffic Control clearance as it returned to Spaceport America," the space base in New Mexico leased by the company. "The FAA investigation is ongoing." The confirmation came a day after The New Yorker published an explosive report by investigative journalist Nicholas Schmidle, which said the red light indicated the spaceplane's climb was too shallow and the nose was insufficiently vertical.