Just days after laying off 90% of its staff and suspending operations, Virgin Orbit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
News broke at the end of March that Virgin Orbit was taking drastic action after failing to secure funding. The company is now pursuing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it moves toward a sale.
“The team at Virgin Orbit has developed and brought into operation a new and innovative method of launching satellites into orbit, introducing new technology and managing great challenges and great risks along the way as we proved the system and performed several successful space flights – including successfully launching 33 satellites into their precise orbit. While we have taken great efforts to address our financial position and secure additional financing, we ultimately must do what is best for the business. We believe that the cutting-edge launch technology that this team has created will have wide appeal to buyers as we continue in the process to sell the Company. At this stage, we believe that the Chapter 11 process represents the best path forward to identify and finalize an efficient and value-maximizing sale,” said Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit.
“I’m incredibly grateful and proud of every one of our teammates, both for the pioneering spirit of innovation they’ve embodied and for their patience and professionalism as we’ve managed through this difficult time. Today my thoughts and concerns are with the many talented teammates and friends now finding their way forward who have been committed to the mission and promise of all that Virgin Orbit represents. I am confident of what we have built and hopeful to achieve a transaction that positions our Company and our technology for future opportunities and missions.”
