virgin orbit
Latest
Virgin Orbit will launch small satellites for the UK military
Virgin Orbit, the small satellite launch arm of Virgin Galactic, will provide launch capabilities for the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF). Virgin has been angling for government contracts recently and has managed to land a project called Artemis "to demonstrate the utility of small satellites and responsive launch to provide information to the RAF."
Virgin Orbit's first rocket drop test was a success
Virgin Orbit's first rocket drop test has gone off without a hitch. The company's Boeing 747 launch aircraft (Cosmic Girl) successfully dropped a dummy LauncherOne rocket from its wing above the Mojave Desert, bringing it one step closer to launching real payloads into space. The focus after this is on launching a real rocket, according to Virgin -- and it might come soon.
Virgin Orbit preps the LauncherOne rocket for its first drop test
Virgin Orbit has gotten the thumbs up to conduct the LauncherOne system's first drop test, and it can happen "in the very near future." The Virgin Group's launch services company has successfully completed its final captive carry flight test, almost eight months after the first time its carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl flew with a 70-foot-long rocket strapped under its wing. Now that it's done with captive carry tests, the company is moving on to the next phase: air-dropping the LauncherOne rocket from an altitude of over 30,000 feet.
Three teams will compete for millions in DARPA's rocket launch challenge
Despite all of the advancements in space travel, rocket launches are still hindered by the fact that they take months, if not years, to plan and execute. Because that could slow vital military operations, DARPA created the Launch Challenge: a call for commercial companies to prove they can get rockets into space quickly and on short notice. Now the three finalists have been selected for the next phase of the challenge.
Virgin Orbit will launch satellites from Guam
Virgin Orbit has added one more location to its growing list of launch sites: Guam. The US island territory's close proximity to the equator and its remote location make it an ideal addition to the program. It can serve as a launch site for missions leaving from any direction and for any orbital inclination. Plus, Virgin Orbit can deploy flights from the island if it needs to deliver payloads as heavy as a thousand pounds to equatorial orbit.
