Future Of British Business
UK Space Launch Delay Due to Virgin Orbit Snag, Regulator Says
Virgin Orbit said the mission from Spaceport Cornwall planned for Dec. 14 had been put on hold.
Source: Virgin Orbit Holdings
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Britain’s aviation regulator said Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc. alone decided to delay the country’s first-ever space launch as it grapples with last-minute snags, and that the move had nothing to do with licensing issues.
“The UK space regulation process is not a barrier to a UK space launch,” Tim Johnson, director for space at the Civil Aviation Authority, said in a statement Thursday. He added that hurdles cited by Virgin “in no way relate to the timing of when a licence will be issued.”