SAIA and FAA to jointly oversee Virgin Orbit investigation
The UK’s Space Accident Investigation Authority (SAIA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA will jointly oversee the Virgin Orbit investigation into the system anomaly that occurred during the firing of the rocket’s second stage engine.
Image courtesy Virgin Orbit
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is the UK’s Space Accident Investigation Authority. The AAIB had a team of inspectors at Spaceport Cornwall observing Monday night’s launch.
The team will work closely with the FAA to oversee Virgin Orbit’s investigation into the cause of the anomaly. The aim will be to ensure that any relevant safety lessons are learnt.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority will act as advisors to the SAIA during this investigation.
