{"id":22912,"date":"2021-01-18T18:22:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T10:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/"},"modified":"2021-01-18T18:22:39","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T10:22:39","slug":"virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgin Orbit successfully launches rocket to space from wing of a 747 plane in milestone mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-border featured-image wp-block-image--obfuscated\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=1600\" class=\"skip-lazy wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=320&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=640&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=1024&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=1500&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" data-attachment-id=\"10294\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2021\/01\/18\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/ld2-ignition-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png\" data-orig-size=\"2207,1242\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Virgin Orbit Cosmic Girl LauncherOne\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=1024\"><br \/>\n\t<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Virgin Orbit attempted its second demonstration launch on Sunday after their first attempt failed shortly after the first stage ignition last year. This time around they didn\u2019t just launch a mass simulator but actual payloads from NASA\u2019s&nbsp;Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program ElaNa 20 which contained several CubeSats from universities across the nation.<\/p>\n<p><ins data-ad-format=\"auto\" class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7125080057269629\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; background-color: transparent; height: 0px;\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_2\" name=\"aswift_2\" style=\"left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; border: 0px; width: 775px; height: 0px; min-height: auto; max-height: none; min-width: auto; max-width: none;\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" width=\"775\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?gdpr=0&amp;us_privacy=1YNN&amp;gpp=DBABL~BVQqAAAAAg&amp;gpp_sid=7&amp;client=ca-pub-7125080057269629&amp;output=html&amp;h=280&amp;num_ads=1&amp;adk=2072073738&amp;adf=712772469&amp;abgtt=7&amp;w=775&amp;fwrn=4&amp;fwrnh=100&amp;lmt=1783316288&amp;rafmt=1&amp;armr=3&amp;sem=mc&amp;pwprc=4018519472&amp;ad_type=text_image&amp;format=775x280&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceexplored.com%2F2021%2F01%2F18%2Fvirgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission%2F&amp;host=ca-host-pub-5506057612223327&amp;fwr=0&amp;pra=3&amp;rh=194&amp;rw=774&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;fa=27&amp;dt=1783316288484&amp;bpp=3&amp;bdt=2294&amp;idt=-M&amp;shv=r20260701&amp;mjsv=m202606290101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3Dca9555a57a2f2561%3AT%3D1783311541%3ART%3D1783315988%3AS%3DALNI_MZ9A7T4VwT-tN8evk0ZwKoZ5JakhQ&amp;gpic=UID%3D000014b2e7cdc06e%3AT%3D1783311541%3ART%3D1783315988%3AS%3DALNI_MaSgUh-RdxMjeT5RHjKJMdOokxhLw&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3D884394a5f2fa4ed6%3AT%3D1783311541%3ART%3D1783315988%3AS%3DAA-AfjZ32sxFDDemDeSI8J0eSBXq&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C336x280&amp;nras=2&amp;correlator=5244720297195&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=480&amp;u_his=1&amp;u_h=960&amp;u_w=1707&amp;u_ah=912&amp;u_aw=1707&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=1.5&amp;dmc=8&amp;adx=96&amp;ady=1219&amp;biw=1421&amp;bih=637&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=0&amp;eid=31099343%2C95395662%2C42533293%2C95390278%2C95393281%2C95393485&amp;oid=2&amp;pvsid=4446430819194537&amp;tmod=540594339&amp;uas=0&amp;nvt=1&amp;fc=1408&amp;brdim=133%2C96%2C133%2C96%2C1707%2C0%2C1441%2C720%2C1438%2C637&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&amp;abl=NS&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;ifi=3&amp;uci=a!3&amp;btvi=2&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=42\" data-google-container-id=\"a!3\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CKPh0t6qvZUDFWvyTAIdPzkJdw\"><\/iframe><\/ins><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-10260\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Virgin Orbit sends their LauncherOne rocket to space a little differently from other launch providers. Instead of having a launch pad on the ground, Virgin Orbit attaches their rocket under one of the wings of a Boeing 747-400 airplane named Cosmic Girl and ignites it shortly after dropping it over the Pacific Ocean. In theory, this method could work from anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air launch vehicles are not common in the industry. One of the most famous is the Pegasus launcher operated by Northrop Grumman. It primarily launches payloads for NASA and the Department of Defense and is dropped from the final operating Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft named Stargazer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pegasus launched 44 times with its last launch of NASA\u2019s ICON mission back in 2019. It\u2019s unsure if they will get any more contracts, but the revival of air-launch vehicles with LauncherOne and the growth of smallsats needing a ride to space brings hope in both programs.<\/p>\n<p>\t<span class=\"outbrain-ad-label\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<script type=\"text\/plain\">\n\t\t\twindow.adSlotsConfig = window.adSlotsConfig || [];<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tadSlotsConfig.push( {\n\t\t\t\tslotID: '\/1049447\/Outbrain',\n\t\t\t\tslotName: 'div-gpt-ad-outbrain-ad-10260',\n\t\t\t\tsizes: [300, 250],\n\t\t\t\tslotPosition: 'mid_article'\n\t\t\t} );\n\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignwide is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"post-youtube-video-1\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yrx2PBzeRdU?version=3&amp;rel=0&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent&amp;enablejsapi=1\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yrx2PBzeRdU?version=3&amp;rel=0&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent&amp;enablejsapi=1\" title=\"YouTube video player\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-demo-2-s-launch-timeline\">Demo 2\u2019s launch timeline<\/h3>\n<p><ins data-ad-format=\"auto\" class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7125080057269629\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; background-color: transparent; height: 0px;\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_3\" name=\"aswift_3\" style=\"left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; border: 0px; width: 775px; height: 0px; min-height: auto; max-height: none; min-width: auto; max-width: none;\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" width=\"775\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?gdpr=0&amp;us_privacy=1YNN&amp;gpp=DBABL~BVQqAAAAAg&amp;gpp_sid=7&amp;client=ca-pub-7125080057269629&amp;output=html&amp;h=280&amp;num_ads=1&amp;adk=2072073738&amp;adf=1821075794&amp;abgtt=7&amp;w=775&amp;fwrn=4&amp;fwrnh=100&amp;lmt=1783316288&amp;rafmt=1&amp;armr=3&amp;sem=mc&amp;pwprc=4018519472&amp;ad_type=text_image&amp;format=775x280&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceexplored.com%2F2021%2F01%2F18%2Fvirgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission%2F&amp;host=ca-host-pub-5506057612223327&amp;fwr=0&amp;pra=3&amp;rh=194&amp;rw=774&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;fa=27&amp;dt=1783316288484&amp;bpp=3&amp;bdt=2294&amp;idt=3&amp;shv=r20260701&amp;mjsv=m202606290101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3Dca9555a57a2f2561%3AT%3D1783311541%3ART%3D1783315988%3AS%3DALNI_MZ9A7T4VwT-tN8evk0ZwKoZ5JakhQ&amp;gpic=UID%3D000014b2e7cdc06e%3AT%3D1783311541%3ART%3D1783315988%3AS%3DALNI_MaSgUh-RdxMjeT5RHjKJMdOokxhLw&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3D884394a5f2fa4ed6%3AT%3D1783311541%3ART%3D1783315988%3AS%3DAA-AfjZ32sxFDDemDeSI8J0eSBXq&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C336x280%2C775x280&amp;nras=3&amp;correlator=5244720297195&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=480&amp;u_his=1&amp;u_h=960&amp;u_w=1707&amp;u_ah=912&amp;u_aw=1707&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=1.5&amp;dmc=8&amp;adx=96&amp;ady=2396&amp;biw=1421&amp;bih=637&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=0&amp;eid=31099343%2C95395662%2C42533293%2C95390278%2C95393281%2C95393485&amp;oid=2&amp;pvsid=4446430819194537&amp;tmod=540594339&amp;uas=0&amp;nvt=1&amp;fc=1408&amp;brdim=133%2C96%2C133%2C96%2C1707%2C0%2C1441%2C720%2C1438%2C637&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&amp;abl=NS&amp;cms=2&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;ifi=4&amp;uci=a!4&amp;btvi=3&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=43\" data-google-container-id=\"a!4\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CJvk0t6qvZUDFcdhUAcdnEUOOA\"><\/iframe><\/ins><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Normally for a launch timeline, we see just a T- (T Minus) or an L- (L Minus) countdown, both of which usually countdown to either liftoff or engine ignition. Virgin Orbit has a T- and D- (D Minus) countdown. T refers to the takeoff of the carrier aircraft (Cosmic Girl) and D refers to when LauncherOne is dropped from the aircraft.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image--obfuscated\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png\" alt=\"Site default logo image\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cosmic Girl took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California at approximately 1:40 p.m. EST, then headed toward the Pacific Ocean where it began flying in a \u201cracetrack\u201d pattern to match up with the right orientation for satellite orbit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At approximately 2:39 p.m. EST, Cosmic Girl pitched up and released the LauncherOne rocket. A few seconds later, LaucherOne\u2019s first stage powered by a NewtonThree engine ignited and propelled the rocket into space. From this point on, the flight timeline is similar to any other launch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignwide is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/Virgin_Orbit\/status\/1350960438444511232?s=20<br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first stage burns for about three minutes before it is cut off and the second stage takes over. The second stage boosted the payloads into an elliptical orbit where it shutdown then reignited to circulate the orbit into its final position and released the 10 CubeSats.<\/p>\n<figure data-carousel-extra=\"{&quot;blog_id&quot;:10,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2021\/01\/18\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\">\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image in full-screen.\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"581\" height=\"339\" data-attachment-id=\"10274\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2021\/01\/18\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/virginorbit_demo2_leaked\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png\" data-orig-size=\"581,339\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=581\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"10274\" data-link=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/?attachment_id=10274\" class=\"wp-image-10274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked.png 581w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked.png?resize=300,175 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked.png?resize=350,204 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked.png?resize=140,82 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_Leaked.png?resize=150,88 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 581px) 100vw, 581px\"><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image in full-screen.\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2910\" height=\"1626\" data-attachment-id=\"10275\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2021\/01\/18\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/virginorbit_demo2_stageseperation\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png\" data-orig-size=\"2910,1626\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\n\n<p>Image: Virgin Orbit<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=1024&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; data-id=&#8221;10275&#8243; data-link=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/?attachment_id=10275&#8243; class=&#8221;wp-image-10275&#8243; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg 2910w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=300,168 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=768,429 768w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=1024,572 1024w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=1536,858 1536w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=2048,1144 2048w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=350,196 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=140,78 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=1600,894 1600w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/VirginOrbit_Demo2_StageSeperation.jpg?resize=150,84 150w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;auto, (max-width: 2910px) 100vw, 2910px&#8221;><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image in full-screen.\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1142\" data-attachment-id=\"10273\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2021\/01\/18\/virgin-orbit-successfully-launches-rocket-to-space-from-wing-of-a-747-plane-in-milestone-mission\/launcherone_demo2_payload\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1142\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png?w=1024\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"10273\" data-link=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/?attachment_id=10273\" class=\"wp-image-10273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=300,167 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=768,428 768w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=1024,571 1024w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=1536,857 1536w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=350,195 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=140,78 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=1600,892 1600w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/LauncherOne_Demo2_Payload.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">Views from LauncherOne during first stage burn, stage separation, and payload fairing deployment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cA new gateway to space has just sprung open! That LauncherOne was able to successfully reach orbit today is a testament to this team\u2019s talent, precision, drive, and ingenuity. Even in the face of a global pandemic, we\u2019ve maintained a laser focus on fully demonstrating every element of this revolutionary launch system. That effort paid off today with a beautifully executed mission, and we couldn\u2019t be happier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Dan Hart, CEO or Virgin Orbit<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The success in this mission opens the door to future customers looking for a dedicated ride into space for their CubeSats. While it is estimated to cost almost twice as much as its leading competitor Rocket Lab\u2019s Electron, it is a much more capable rocket and offers the benefits of air-launch like being able to use facilities at multiple airports and quicker launch-on-demand capabilities.<\/p>\n<p><ins data-ad-format=\"auto\" class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7125080057269629\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; background-color: transparent; height: 280px;\"><\/ins><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leaked-stream\">Leaked stream<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This launch, the previous launch attempt, and other flight tests were not publicly streamed. Instead, Virgin Orbit offered live Twitter updates. There was an internal stream, however, that eventually got leaked to the public.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unsure if this was just for internal personnel or a practice stream for future missions, but from what we were able to see of it, Virgin Orbit has raised the bar of launch streams. This is especially true for live on-screen telemetry, detailed graphics, and use of engineers as on-screen talent, which allows for much more detailed explanations that are not read from a script. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We hope for the next mission, Virgin Orbit decides to produce the stream publicly since they are leaps and bounds ahead of other launch providers already based on their internal stream.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image--obfuscated\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/themes\/ninetofive\/dist\/images\/default-spaceexplored-related-guide.png\" alt=\"Site default logo image\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"enjoy-reading-space-explored\">Enjoy reading Space Explored?<\/h3>\n<p><ins data-ad-format=\"auto\" class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7125080057269629\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; background-color: transparent; height: 280px;\"><\/ins><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virgin Orbit attempted its second demonstration launch on Sunday after their first attempt failed shortly after the first stage ignition last year. This time around they didn\u2019t just launch a mass simulator but actual payloads from NASA\u2019s&nbsp;Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program ElaNa 20 which contained several CubeSats from universities across the nation. Virgin Orbit sends [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22912"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22912\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}