A Federal Aviation Administration inquiry into its July 11 flight isn't the only thing keeping Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity grounded at Spaceport America in Southern New Mexico.
Virgin Galactic announced on Sept. 10 that a third-party supplier informed the company of a potential manufacturing defect in a flight control component. The company is working to learn if the defect exists in Virgin Galactic vehicles, and what steps to take if it does exist.
"Out of an abundance of caution, and in line with Virgin Galactic’s established safety procedures, the company is in the process of conducting inspections in partnership with the vendor," a news release from the company stated.
The news of the potential defect came as Virgin Galactic began preparations for its 23rd test flight. Plans included carrying three, paying crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council, according to a news release. The hope was to — among other things — evaluate and measure the effects of the transitional phase from gravity to microgravity on the human body.
Right now, the company is targeting a mid-October flight window for the Unity 23 flight.
That window, though, is also dependent on the FAA completing its investigation. The FAA is looking into how the Unity 22 flight deviated from its airspace clearance as it returned to Spaceport America. At the time the investigation was announced, the FAA said the timeline for completion would be fluid. And based on previous, similar investigations, it could take days, weeks or months.
