spacetoday.net: Virgin Galactic says airplane issue may delay SpaceShipTwo test flights

Posted: Sat, May 15, 2021, 10:07 AM ET (1407 GMT)
SpaceShipTwo on 2019 February 22 test flight (Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic said a potential issue with the aircraft used to carry its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane could delay the resumption of test flights. In an earnings call Monday, company executives said they believe they have corrected the electromagnetic interference problem that aborted a test flight of the vehicle five months ago. However, the company said "a potential wear-and-tear issue" found after a recent flight of the WhiteKnightTwo aircraft could require repairs. The company had planned to do that work during a maintenance period this fall, but may need to move that work up, delaying a series of four SpaceShipTwo flights that had been scheduled to begin this month. Virgin Galactic will provide an update next week on its test flight schedule. The company reported a net loss of $130 million in the first quarter of 2021.