Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Temporarily Halts Satellite Launch Operations

Virgin Orbit, the satellite launch company owned by billionaire Richard Branson, has announced that it will be pausing all operations from March 16th. This comes as a surprise to many in the space industry who had been looking forward to Virgin Orbit’s groundbreaking technology and plans for launching satellites into orbit.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that nearly all of Virgin Orbit’s employees are being furloughed due to this pause in operations. This news is sure to have an impact on those working at Virgin Orbit and their families, but also on the entire space industry which was counting on them for innovation and progress toward more efficient satellite launches.

It remains unclear why exactly this decision has been made or what its implications may be going forward; however, one thing is certain: Richard Branson’s ambitious venture into space exploration has come up against a major roadblock – at least temporarily – which could delay any further progress until conditions improve enough for them to resume normal operations again soon.