Virgin Galactic has postponed its first commercial research mission in collaboration with the Italian Air Force until at least mid-October, owing to a potential issue.
The space travel company is examining a component provided by a third-party vendor for the flight control actuation system in its SpaceShipTwo vehicles. However, it does not know yet if there is a defect or if repairs are required.
According to Virgin Galactic, it will make a further update and designate a specific flight window for its Unity 23 test flight mission in coordination with the Italian Air Force once the inspection is done.
"We have a robust pre-flight readiness approach that is rooted in our thorough, proactive and safety-first culture," said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier. "There is nothing more important to us than the integrity of our vehicles. Our test flight processes and procedures are rigorous and structured to identify and resolve these types of issues. We look forward to taking to the skies again soon."