'Small' Virgin Orbit team returns on Thursday from unpaid hiatus to prep for the next rocket launch

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Despite its uncertain future, Virgin Orbit is returning a "small" team to work on Thursday to prepare for its next rocket launch.

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Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart stated in an email to staff members that "any plausible future for our operations will need us to successfully launch."

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While Virgin Orbit is extending the unpaid furlough and stop in operations for the remainder of its more than 750 employees "until at least Monday," Hart called this a "first step" in an "incremental restart of operations."

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Trade Algo earlier revealed that the company's management is frantically trying to find a funding lifeline and prevent insolvency. In order to "conserve cash while we seek to examine options to safeguard Virgin Orbit's future," Hart said the break had been taken.

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Although they’ve made some significant progress this week, Hart noted that “there is still work to be done.”

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A Virgin Orbit representative confirmed in a statement to Trade Algo that the company is bringing back a portion of its staff on Thursday. However, she would not say how many. According to Hart's email, the team that is coming back will "concentrate on significant areas for our next mission," including work on assembling and testing the rocket's engines. The restart of some work was first reported by Reuters.

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Virgin Orbit designed a system that launches rockets from under the wing of a modified 747 airliner in mid-flight to launch satellites into orbit. Nevertheless, the company's most recent mission experienced a mid-flight failure, with a launch-related problem forcing the rocket to not reach orbit and crash into the water.

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Virgin Orbit provided an update last week and stated that its internal inquiry was almost finished, adding that the rocket for its upcoming flight would have adjustments and be "in the final phases of integration and testing."

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In his email, Hart stated that Virgin Orbit is "facing uncertainty and I realize that is very uncomfortable," adding that workers who haven't yet reported back to work can still utilize vacation or sick days to help make up for the unpaid time.

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As majority owner Sir Richard Branson has refused to provide additional funding for the business, it has been searching for new funding for a number of months.