The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded Virgin Galactic until an investigation of its JUL 2021 flight is complete. The 11JUL 2021 flight carrying Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees went off course on its descent, which carried it out of New Mexico’s air traffic control clearance area. Virgin Galactic acknowledged the space plane dropped below the protected airspace for one minute and 41 seconds, and cited high-altitude winds as the reason for the deviation. The ban comes as Virgin Galactic announced plans to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks. "Virgin Galactic may not return the SpaceShipTwo vehicle to flight until the FAA approves the final mishap investigation report or determines the issues related to the mishap do not affect public safety," the FAA said in a statement.
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