{"id":51982,"date":"2024-01-23T01:37:09","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T17:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/former-virgin-orbit-ceo-dan-hart-on-the-milestones-hopes-and-heartbreaks-of-virgin-orbits-journey\/"},"modified":"2024-01-23T01:37:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T17:37:09","slug":"former-virgin-orbit-ceo-dan-hart-on-the-milestones-hopes-and-heartbreaks-of-virgin-orbits-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/former-virgin-orbit-ceo-dan-hart-on-the-milestones-hopes-and-heartbreaks-of-virgin-orbits-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart on the Milestones, Hopes, and Heartbreaks of Virgin Orbit\u2019s Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 2017, Dan Hart left his 34-year career at Boeing to embark on a new adventure as CEO of Virgin Orbit. Working for Richard Branson\u2019s startup was the opportunity of a lifetime during the heyday of new space, and the company enjoyed a string of successes before the company filed for bankruptcy in April 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Orbit made history in 2021 by validating LauncherOne, the first orbital class, air-launched, liquid-fueled rocket to successfully reach space. The company had four successful missions, deploying 33 satellites, for customers including the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, SatRevolution, and Spire, along with plans to expand launch service and commercial spaceports around the globe. It was a surprise to many when Virgin Orbit shuttered operations, especially considering the lack of diversity in launch suppliers.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ro1MRZYaRGqOwyVFW8pu_VS_010124_DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ro1MRZYaRGqOwyVFW8pu_VS_010124_DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ro1MRZYaRGqOwyVFW8pu_VS_010124_DGTL_Cover-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ro1MRZYaRGqOwyVFW8pu_VS_010124_DGTL_Cover-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ro1MRZYaRGqOwyVFW8pu_VS_010124_DGTL_Cover.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the January\/February 2024 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p><em class=\"Annotation -emphasis\">Via Satellite<\/em> recently caught up with Hart, who resides in Long Beach, California, to talk about his career, what went wrong at Virgin, and the critical lessons that entrepreneurs can glean from his experiences.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: You launched your career in the space industry in 1983. What was that like?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart:<\/strong> I was so lucky. I was part of Spacelab in the early Space Shuttle days, under the wing of engineers who had worked on programs like Gemini and Apollo. Spacelab was the first real European-U.S. collaboration in space of any size. Very international. I got to go to Europe on my first business trip for a year and worked with the German engineers.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: You worked at Boeing for 34 years \u2014 until you got a call from Richard Branson in 2017 at Virgin. What was that big career jump like?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart:<\/strong> I was leading Boeing\u2019s Government Satellites Division and had an incredible portfolio \u2014X-37 Spaceplane, GPS, WGS, TDRS, satellites in the classified area \u2014 but I had been with Boeing for 34 years. The idea of moving to another culture, and the energy that Richard brings, and the vision that he brings, was really enticing. It was also getting back into a big, hands-on development program like the ones I grew up [with]. It was returning back from a career point of view, and then moving forward in a new, faster, visionary culture \u2014 and it was doing something that had never been done. Really exciting stuff.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a695f3cb1e1b;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a695f3cb1e1b = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a695f3cb1e1c').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a695f3cb1e1c'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: How was working for Virgin Orbit different than working for Boeing?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart: <\/strong>At a large company, you deal with a lot of layers of bureaucracy and a certain amount of politics. Change is often very slow, even change to adopt a new great idea. At Virgin, we were agile and lean. The leadership was trimmed down to the bare bones. We made decisions quickly, and took risks \u2014 it was very liberating, moving into that environment, but still we felt the weight of responsibility. The [culture] was high octane \u2014 with a lot of people coming into the business from school or other startups and some space veterans like me sprinkled in. The mix spawned real, forward-leaning ideas that were sometimes adopted overnight.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What did you see as some of the drivers of the New Space economy at the time?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart: <\/strong>Certainly SpaceX was a catalyst, but the technology in small satellites may have been even more important. All of a sudden, you had satellites that were a fifth of the size of [Iridium] that could actually do meaningful work \u2014 that weren\u2019t just objects of curiosity \u2014 and that was huge. You had an architectural change starting to take root in space. I was very much aware of that back at Boeing because I was building satellites and I was seeing that transformation happening. There was also a lot of activity on the national security side with the emergence of contested space. China took out one of their satellites in 2007, a Russian satellite did something strange, and suddenly the space environment is simmering and starting to boil. A \u2018cat and mouse\u2019 in space started to happen, similar to submarines under the Arctic during the Cold War.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s not forget capital. There was a lot of private money funding development. That enabled commercial contracts that empowered teams to create space systems in a commercial-like way.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Let\u2019s talk about your time at Virgin Orbit. What was it like to experience some of the six successful missions that the company had and some of the early milestones?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart:<\/strong> First of all, this was a new system. No one\u2019s ever done a liquid rocket leaving an airplane that goes into orbit, so it was a completely new method with some new technology associated with it and new risks. We were a human-assisted launcher so safety was constantly on my mind. Whether this new approach would work was a question mark and when it did it was amazing.<\/p>\n<p>I remember our first successful launch on Martin Luther King\u2019s birthday in 2021. When the rocket makes orbit the amount of pressure that gets released into your body to where every neuron in your head lights up \u2014 you get this warm glow. When you suddenly see years of brutally hard work come together and succeed you can barely relate to people except having this kind of silly smile on your face, looking at each other, like \u2018Do you believe this? You know, it all worked! It all worked!\u2019 I was so proud of that team.<\/p>\n<p>When Richard called, I think he was laughing and crying at the same time. Unbeknownst to him, and just before the launch, we had named the rocket for his mom who had just passed away days before. Eve Branson had carried the day.<\/p>\n<p>We had four good flights in a row like that, where confidence was building. To our amazement, orbital accuracy was phenomenal and we found that the system almost never scrubbed on launch days \u2014 747s and their pilots like to fly. We were learning more about the system and adjusting, every time was absolutely amazing. We were launching for customers on the cutting edge, launching from an airport, and U.S. government agencies and countries across the world were taking notice.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Let\u2019s talk about when things got hard. What went wrong? What challenges and obstacles came up?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart:<\/strong> There were basically four areas that impacted us. Number one was we didn\u2019t raise enough money. Our closest competitor had raised over three times what we had. That put us in a position where we couldn\u2019t diversify, and operations had to be close to perfect for us to be successful. The investment market pretty much closed down in 2022 as we worked our way into low-rate production when a raise would have been helpful. In early 2023, in the middle of a critical fund raise, we experienced a mission failure.<\/p>\n<p>Number two was the market had shifted during our development \u2014 the commercial smallsat launch market was impacted first by large rockets. Soyuz started to take up OneWeb, [which was] our big customer initially when the company was created in 2017. And then SpaceX came in with their Transporter [rideshare] missions and pulled the price down for small commercial satellite launches. Also, there were aspirational launchers that were giving very low introductory pricing. Commercial pricing was basically depressed, so we pivoted over to focus on government, U.S. national security responsive space, where we had a unique capability providing allied governments like the U.K. with launch. Governments are slow, however, and we needed revenue and backlog \u2014 indications to excite investors.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a695f3cb2273;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a695f3cb2273 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a695f3cb2274').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a695f3cb2274'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Third, we had plans to diversify into the satellite services sector, but with our limited cash we weren\u2019t able to do that, eliminating options. The fourth issue was COVID. We went to launch in May of 2020 for the first time. We couldn\u2019t even talk to each other face to face. Remote and hybrid work, critical teams periodically shutting down with contagion, and an intense development\/operations program didn\u2019t mix well. Our efficiency tanked.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What are some of the lessons learned that others can take away from your experience, especially if they\u2019re starting out?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart: <\/strong>Number one is always fly. No space program succeeds sitting on the ground, and we succeeded in carefully managing risk and moving forward. Obviously, cash is king. And you need to have contingency because hard issues will come up every day. And hit the investment market when it\u2019s hot. I mean, urgently.<\/p>\n<p>On the pricing side, I do see companies waging war in pricing, and the launch companies doing that are certainly helping satellite companies get started. But it\u2019s not sustainable. The companies that are launching don\u2019t seem to be making money even after dozens of launches. Is there an adjustment that needs to take place? That would be something for people to think about, what is strategic pricing in today\u2019s market? And another [thing] is to consider carefully how the market is developing. It\u2019s a new market. The architectures are changing, the applications are changing. So keep an eye on your customer and your customer\u2019s customer. And know that government organizations are complex.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What do you have any thoughts on the future of New Space?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart: <\/strong>There\u2019s a huge amount going on. It\u2019s an incredibly exciting time. You\u2019ve got Artemis that\u2019s moving us forward to Lunar, and there are a ton of commercial activities and international programs associated with that. And then you still have this growth in this new small satellite architecture associated with both space defense and security, and new commercial applications. A lot of opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d also say that some space remote sensing companies have been disappointed in the pace of pickup in the industrial sectors. That said, there is huge potential there. I think what\u2019s going to need to happen is the analytics needs to develop more to [the point where] information and the data can be served to those companies in forms they can easily absorb and buy. There\u2019s work needed here, applications for AI, but there\u2019s steady growth that\u2019s going to happen for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>And then the other piece is the global aspect. If you\u2019re going to be a modern country, 10 years from now, you\u2019re going to have a vibrant space program. Your economy and security are going to be wrapped up, in part, with what you can do with space and satellites, and the sovereignty of your satellite communication and remote sensing. One of the things I\u2019m proudest of is when Virgin Orbit launched from Western Europe. It was the first attempt ever made and it showed the U.K. and many other countries what the future holds.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What kind of impact do you think Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos have on the industry? What do you think that does to the industry?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Hart:<\/strong> They\u2019ve had an enormous, positive impact. They\u2019ve shown us what humans can accomplish when they\u2019re unleashed and empowered, when creative, new ideas are encouraged. The amount of innovation you\u2019ve seen would not have happened without them. And they\u2019ve helped to create the next generation of space professionals. I\u2019d say that\u2019s their legacy. As we look forward, the space community has broadened out so much. There are so many entities and organizations and leaders and teams. Are they needed to push it forward? I don\u2019t think so. But they jump-started this revolution and it\u2019s rocketing forward.  <strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">VS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404821:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ps4G28dnSOgwx52vtESo_VS_010124_DGTL_10_Defining_Moments-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ps4G28dnSOgwx52vtESo_VS_010124_DGTL_10_Defining_Moments-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ps4G28dnSOgwx52vtESo_VS_010124_DGTL_10_Defining_Moments-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ps4G28dnSOgwx52vtESo_VS_010124_DGTL_10_Defining_Moments-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ps4G28dnSOgwx52vtESo_VS_010124_DGTL_10_Defining_Moments.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t10 Defining Moments in Cybersecurity and Satellite in 2023<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404824:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jcJ0GRq1TlOrV1qT6fJL_VS_010124_DGTL_Earth_Observation-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jcJ0GRq1TlOrV1qT6fJL_VS_010124_DGTL_Earth_Observation-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jcJ0GRq1TlOrV1qT6fJL_VS_010124_DGTL_Earth_Observation-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jcJ0GRq1TlOrV1qT6fJL_VS_010124_DGTL_Earth_Observation-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jcJ0GRq1TlOrV1qT6fJL_VS_010124_DGTL_Earth_Observation.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tEarth Observation CEOs Analyze 2023, a Seismic Year in EO<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404827:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ezv3DXpkTCqOgJUtSUGB_VS_010124_DGTL_WRC-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ezv3DXpkTCqOgJUtSUGB_VS_010124_DGTL_WRC-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ezv3DXpkTCqOgJUtSUGB_VS_010124_DGTL_WRC-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ezv3DXpkTCqOgJUtSUGB_VS_010124_DGTL_WRC-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ezv3DXpkTCqOgJUtSUGB_VS_010124_DGTL_WRC.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSatellite Issues Take Center-Stage at WRC-23<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404834:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jYLG1FGgSXCEZDZga6dH_ED_Note-300x167.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jYLG1FGgSXCEZDZga6dH_ED_Note-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jYLG1FGgSXCEZDZga6dH_ED_Note-800x446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jYLG1FGgSXCEZDZga6dH_ED_Note-640x357.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jYLG1FGgSXCEZDZga6dH_ED_Note.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tShadows and Light<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404812:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2bkIaNzwQZGZtL3L1YxD_VS_010124_DGTL_New_Space-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2bkIaNzwQZGZtL3L1YxD_VS_010124_DGTL_New_Space-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2bkIaNzwQZGZtL3L1YxD_VS_010124_DGTL_New_Space-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2bkIaNzwQZGZtL3L1YxD_VS_010124_DGTL_New_Space-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2bkIaNzwQZGZtL3L1YxD_VS_010124_DGTL_New_Space.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tThe New Space Spark: Retrospective of the Start of a Revolution<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404818:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/J7x0lIR5TMGeXakdxdXy_VS_010124_DGTL_Big_Rockets-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/J7x0lIR5TMGeXakdxdXy_VS_010124_DGTL_Big_Rockets-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/J7x0lIR5TMGeXakdxdXy_VS_010124_DGTL_Big_Rockets-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/J7x0lIR5TMGeXakdxdXy_VS_010124_DGTL_Big_Rockets-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/J7x0lIR5TMGeXakdxdXy_VS_010124_DGTL_Big_Rockets.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tWill 2024 Be a Year of Rocket Debuts?<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 404831:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iknjRmPrRzaxFxx65zsC_53347060359_2f83f61846_k-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iknjRmPrRzaxFxx65zsC_53347060359_2f83f61846_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iknjRmPrRzaxFxx65zsC_53347060359_2f83f61846_k-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iknjRmPrRzaxFxx65zsC_53347060359_2f83f61846_k-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iknjRmPrRzaxFxx65zsC_53347060359_2f83f61846_k.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tWRC-27: A Three-Course Meal from a Very Slow Kitchen<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2017, Dan Hart left his 34-year career at Boeing to embark on a new adventure as CEO of Virgin Orbit. Working for Richard Branson\u2019s startup was the opportunity of a lifetime during the heyday of new space, and the company enjoyed a string of successes before the company filed for bankruptcy in April 2023. 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