British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit has filed for bankruptcy in the US after failing to secure new investment. The satellite launch company halted operations weeks ago but it hopes to find a buyer for the business. The company, based in California, announced last week that it would cut 85% of its 750-strong workforce.
Earlier this year, a Virgin Orbit rocket failed to complete its first-ever satellite launch from UK soil.
Virgin Orbit was founded in 2017 and is a spin-off from Sir Richard's space tourism company Virgin Galactic.
It launches rockets from beneath modified Boeing 747 planes to send satellites into space.
But in January, an attempt to send a satellite into orbit from the UK for the first time failed because a rocket fuel filter had become dislodged, causing one of the engines to overheat.
The company, which listed its shares on New York's Nasdaq index in 2021, had debts of $153.5m (£123m) as of September last year.
On Tuesday, the company said Virgin Investments, part of Virgin Group, would provide $31.6m in new money to help Virgin Orbit through the process of finding a buyer.
It has filed for what is known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US. This allows a business to keep operating and address its financial issues while providing protection against creditors who are owed money.
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