Richard Branson’s flight deviated from path under investigation by FAA
- BySheetal Sidhu | September 2, 2021
The flight carrying Richard Branson to the edge of space could have ended up landing on the desert plain after warning lights flashed on the pilot’s console indicating that the flight path was too shallow and the nose of the ship was insufficiently vertical. At the time, the rocket plane was already climbing at twice the speed of sound making it difficult to remain in the restricted airspace, The New Yorker reported.
The flight is now under investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The vehicle “deviated from its Air Traffic Control clearance as it returned to Spaceport America. The FAA investigation is ongoing,” an FAA official told Reuters. While the rocket, designed like an airplane, climbs after being dropped midair it glides back to Earth and lands like the Space Shuttle, and According to The New Yorker, this is where the problem began. In order to glide down to the runway, the aircraft must begin its descent within a specified, imaginary “cone” to have enough glide energy to reach its destination.
Also Read
Follow Startup Story
Related Posts
