Virgin Orbit boss takes action against bosses in farewell email

A Virgin Orbit executive blew up his colleagues in a farewell shot after the company collapsed.

Tony Gingiss, the satellite launch company’s chief operating officer, said in a lengthy apology email sent out to the entire company that employees “deserved better”.

Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart with Richard Branson

“You were part of something bold, challenging and fulfilling [but] You just haven’t had the leadership or opportunity to demonstrate to the world what you are fully capable of and how this product could be an enduring force in the market,” he said.

The email appeared to be addressed to Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart, although Gingiss did not mention him by name. “I’m sorry I couldn’t convince our leader and board to take a different approach to give us more time to figure things out,” the email read.

Virgin Orbit, founded in 2017 by Sir Richard Branson as a spin-out of his space tourism company Virgin Galactic, filed for bankruptcy in the US on Tuesday because it was unable to raise enough cash to stay afloat.

It came after a failed mission from Spaceport Cornwall in January left the company struggling for cash.

Gingiss, an aeronautical engineer and former head of Oneweb Satellites, a joint venture between Boeing and British communications company Oneweb, was among the 675 Virgin Orbit employees laid off last month.