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UK officials will work with counterparts within the US to oversee an investigation into the failure of Virgin Orbit’s rocket launch mission from Cornwall.
The Space Accident Investigation Authority (CAIS) said it would work alongside the Federal Aviation Administration to “make sure that any relevant safety lessons are learnt”.
The organisations will oversee Virgin Orbit’s investigation.
After taking off from Spaceport Cornwall on Monday night, the Virgin Orbit plane flew to 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean, where it jettisoned the LauncherOne rocket containing nine small satellites towards space.
Nevertheless, organisers of the Start Me Up mission soon identified an “anomaly” throughout the firing of the rocket’s second stage engine, meaning it failed to succeed in orbit.
Virgin Orbit has said it hopes to return to Spaceport Cornwall for brand spanking new launches as early as later this yr.
