Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. SPCE said late Wednesday that Board Chair Evan Lovell died on Tuesday “unexpectedly” after an illness. Lovell joined the board in October 2019 and was appointed chair in April, after serving as interim chair since February 2022. Virgin Galactic has appointed former U.S. Navy Secretary Raymond Mabus Jr., who was appointed a director in April, to serve as interim chair. Shares of Virgin Galactic on Wednesday gave back some of its recent gains, and edged higher in the aftermarket. The stock is up 64% so far this year, compared with gains of around 14% for the S&P 500 index SPX in the same period.

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