Tag: LauncherOne
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Virgin Orbit ceases operations
File photo of Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft and a LauncherOne rocket under its wing. Credit: Virgin Orbit Virgin Orbit, the satellite launch company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, has permanently ceased operations, just a few months after a major mission failure in January and at a time when it was already facing financial headwinds.…
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Virgin Orbit pauses operations amid financial troubles
Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet, takes off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California with a LauncherOne rocket under its left wing. Credit: Virgin Orbit Virgin Orbit announced last week it is pausing operations after sustained financial losses, furloughing most of the company’s approximately 750 employees as officials seek…
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Virgin Orbit fails on first mission from the UK with Start Me Up
Virgin Orbit attempted to carry out the first satellite launch from the United Kingdom on Monday with the first LauncherOne mission out of Spaceport Cornwall. LauncherOne was dropped from Virgin’s Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft off the coast of Ireland at approximately 23:11 UTC, and flight appeared nominal through stage 2 ignition and fairing separation, although…
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Virgin Orbit launches seven satellites for US Space Force and NASA
Virgin Orbit launched its fifth flight of the LauncherOne rocket, after scrubbing an attempt on Wednesday because the propellant temperature was deemed to be “slightly out of bounds”. That decision was made prior to the take-off of Cosmic Girl, the carrier aircraft. A nominal take off and launch occurred on Friday for the mission, named…
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Virgin Orbit launches mission STP-27VPB “Above the Clouds”
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne and its 747 carrier aircraft “Cosmic Girl” have launched the US Defense Department’s STP-27VPB mission along with three commercial satellites. The launch occurred on Thursday, January 13 at approximately 2:51 PM PST (22:51 UTC). Cosmic Girl took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port before flying out to the launch zone…
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LauncherOne lofts defense and commercial satellites on first operational flight
Small satellite launch company Virgin Orbit has successfully launched it’s LauncherOne rocket on its first operational flight since wrapping up its flight test program earlier this year. Launch occurred at 7:47 AM PDT (14:47 UTC), within the two hour window that opened at 6:00 AM PDT (13:00 UTC). LauncherOne Flight Three, also known as “Tubular…
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Virgin Orbit names next mission and expands operations to Brazil
Following the first successful launch of LauncherOne in January, Virgin Orbit is aiming for their next mission to lift off in June. While the launch campaign is underway, the small satellite launch provider continues to secure additional launch sites around the world for expending launch operations, adding their newest site in Brazil. In a ceremony…
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Virgin Orbit sends 10 satellites to orbit, building on Paul Allen’s air-launch legacy
LauncherOne lights up its rocket engine after its release from a carrier airplane. (Virgin Orbit Photo) Eight months after an unsuccessful first attempt, Virgin Orbit finally lived up to its name today and used an innovative air-launch system to put 10 satellites in orbit. With backing from British billionaire Richard Branson, Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system…
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LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt with NASA CubeSats
After an eight month stand down to resolve issues revealed during the first mission of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket, the company made their second orbital launch attempt on Sunday, January 17. The air-launched rocket successfully carried ten CubeSats to their target orbit for NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program. The cosmic girl aircraft took…
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Virgin Orbit traces cause of LauncherOne engine failure to propellant line
Virgin Orbit’s first LauncherOne rocket ignites its engine after release from a Boeing 747 carrier jet during the company’s first orbital launch attempt May 25. Credit: Virgin Orbit An engine failure that cut short the first test flight of Virgin Orbit’s air-dropped LauncherOne rocket in May was caused by a faulty propellant feed line, the…