Aparna Chitale will lead workforce and recruitment efforts for Virgin Galactic as the Las Cruces-based space tourism company works to move past a federal investigation into its previous test flight, which brought its billionaire founder to the edges of space.
Chitale will begin as Virgin Galactic's chief people officer on Sept. 30. Her appointment was announced by Virgin Galactic on Thursday and marks the next move in a career that includes a role as a vice president at Disney, according to a release from Virgin Galactic. Chitale will lead the HR department to include diversity and equity efforts, compensation, benefits and more, the release says.
“I’m thrilled to join Virgin Galactic at such a significant time in the company’s journey,” Chitale said in a statement. “I am passionate about building energized and dedicated teams and creating a culture where everyone belongs. I look forward to being a part of this exceptional company as it continues to make history in the rapidly growing human spaceflight industry.”
Virgin Galactic is currently grounded from flying its spaceship at Spaceport America as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inquiry seeks to look into the company's July 11 test flight with founder Richard Branson aboard. During the flight, Virgin Galactic's spacecraft dipped below its permitted altitude.
Branson's space venture later announced that a third-party supplier informed the company of a potential manufacturing defect in a flight control component. The company was working to learn if the defect exists in Virgin Galactic vehicles, and what steps to take if it does exist, Business First reported earlier this month.
Before the FAA halted flight operations, Virgin Galactic planned to fly three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council with its VSS Unity vehicle. A timeline for the federal investigation has not been announced and it is unclear how long the inquiry may take.
