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INTERN A TION AL
Virgin Galactic delays first

commercial space flight

Shares in Virgin Galactic dived as much
as 20% on Friday after the space tourism
company said it was postponing its first
commercial flight.

The trip was scheduled for the third quarter
of 2022, but will be delayed until the fourth
as the firm conducts repairs and upgrades.

It also said it will not conduct a second
planned test flight this year.
Virgin is in a race with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin
and Elon Musk's Space X to start flying
tourists into space.

In a statement the firm said a planned
upgrade programme, aimed at enhancing
the performance and durability of its ships, Space race heats up
would begin a month later than planned. The company, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson,
It comes after a routine tests revealed "a said its next test flight - Unity 23 - would now happen next

possible reduction in the strength margins of summer. Commercial flights will start after that.
certain materials" used on its VMS Eve and
VSS Unity craft. Last month, the US Federal Aviation Administration lifted a
Earth should come before space, William no-fly order on Virgin Galactic after a flight in July deviated
says from assigned airspace on its descent.
Virgin Galactic cleared to resume space The regulator had accused the company of not providing
flights the necessary information about the flight in which Branson
Virgin said this required "further physical participated.
inspection" but played down any safety
concerns.
On Wednesday, Hollywood actor William Shatner became the

"While this new lab test data has had no impact oldest person to go to space as he blasted off aboard the Blue
on the vehicles, our test flight protocols Origin sub-orbital capsule developed by billionaire Amazon
have clearly defined strength margins, and founder Jeff Bezos.
further analysis will assess whether any
additional work is required to keep them at Meanwhile, four amateur astronauts blasted off from Florida
or above established levels," said company on their private mission on one of Space X's Dragon spacecraft

boss Michael Colglazier. in September

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Olaf Scholz will likely
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