Virgin Orbit has confirmed that the cause of the failure of its first UK mission on January 9 was a dislodged fuel filter. According to the company, the filter had been “dislodged from its normal position,” causing a series of events that ultimately led to the shutdown of the second-stage rocket. The investigation is being led by United Launch Alliance’s Jim Sponnick and Virgin Chief Engineer Chad Foerster, with oversight from the US FAA, UK Air Accidents Investigation branch, and other authorities.
