Virgin Orbit blames filter for failed rocket launch

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On April 19 Reuters, Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc on Wednesday blamed a dislodged filter for a failed rocket launch in January, and said it was planning another mission later this year as the issue had been fixed.

The satellite launch company, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month as it struggled to obtain long-term funding following the failed launch.

Virgin Orbit's biggest rocket, LauncherOne, failed to reach orbit and sent its payload of commercial and defense-related research satellites plunging into the ocean.

Virgin Orbit said ground test results matched flight data as the initiation event of the January launch failure.

The company said that a series of tests had verified the performance of the redesigned filter and that another launch was planned for Mojave Air and Space Port in California later this year.

CEO Dan Hart said that some key financial and operational mistakes led the company to burn through hundreds of millions of dollars, while producing only a handful of successful launches.

The company, which now has just 100 employees, was in a lot of discussions with potential buyers, Hart said.