How Virgin Galactic kept working on spaceships amid the coronavirus - Business Insider

Virgin Galactic in early May performed a gliding test flight of its "Unity" spaceship over New Mexico for the first time, despite theGeorge Whitesides, the company's CEO, explained that in addition to providing ample personal protective equipment, Virgin Galactic tested roughly all 1,000 of its employees and contractors for COVID-19.

By May 1, however, the company was gliding its "Unity" spaceship over the deserts of Sierra County, New Mexico — the site of Spaceport America and the home base from which the company soon hopes to fly its customers beyond the edge of space for about $200,000 each. The glide test was also a milestone in that, despite the threat of COVID-19, Virgin Galactic was learning toVirgin Galactic's Eve mothership and Unity spaceship.Whitesides said Virgin Galactic immediately asked those of its roughly 1,000 employees and contractors who could work remotely to do so as outbreaks spread. About two-thirds fit the bill.

Though the company's work is considered "essential" during the pandemic, Whitesides said Virgin Galactic temporarily sent those workers home. The company's management then used March and early April to get their heads wrapped around which steps could be taken to continue operating — and as safely as possible.

However, given the pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic nature of some if not most coronavirus infections, Whitesides said the company went to the atypical measure of testing everyone —— if their insurance wouldn't cover it. So by early May, Whitesides said, more than 90% of the company's staff who needed to work on-site were doing so. He noted that Virgin Galactic is committed to testing everyone about once a month until there's a coronavirus vaccine, at a cost of about $100 to $200 a person to the company if an employee's insurance won't cover it.

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