Virgin Orbit Archives

May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 by Nancy Atkinson

Stratolaunch Buys Virgin Orbit's Rocket-Launching 747

Conceptual rendering of Stratolaunch 747 air-launch vehicle, in launch configuration with the reusable Talon-A hypersonic testbed. Credit: Stratolaunch / Delta Research Digital Products

With Virgin Orbit going through bankruptcy, other launch providers are purchasing various parts of the business. This week we learned that Stratolaunch’s bid to buy Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft has been approved by the U.S Bankruptcy Court, enabling Stratolaunch to use the 747 to carry its Talon-A hypersonic vehicles, ideally beginning operation by 2024.

June 17, 2020June 17, 2020 by Andy Tomaswick

Virgin Orbit’s first air-launched rocket launch fails

The reason people use the aphorism “it isn’t rocket science” is because rocket science is hard. Virgin Orbit, a spin-off of Virgin Galactic that focuses on small satellite launches, proved that with a recent test of its LauncherOne rocket.

July 12, 2019July 12, 2019 by Matt Williams

Virgin Orbit Tests its Satellite-Delivery Rocket for the First Time

The OrbitOne rocket deploying from a 747. Credit: Virgin Orbit

Since 2015, Virgin Orbit has been developing a launch system that will send satellites into space using a rocket launched from a modified 747. This is part of Sir Richard Branson’s plan to crack the burgeoning market of cost-effective satellite deployment. This market is especially lucrative considering how many satellites are expected to be launched into orbit in the coming years.

This week, the Virgin Orbit team achieved a major milestone by flying the LauncherOne rocket into the air and releasing it over the Mojave desert for the first time. This drop-test not only validated the design of the modified 747 (named Cosmic Girl) that serves as its flying launchpad, it also demonstrated the effectiveness of the launch system – which can rely on regular airstrips instead of launch pads to send satellites into space.

October 30, 2018 by Evan Gough

Virgin Orbit Shows off its “Launcher One”, a Rocket Carried by an Airplane

Launcher One being maneuvered into position under Cosmic Girl. Image: Virgin Orbit

The commercial space sector is about to get a little more crowded. SpaceX and Blue Origin have created headlines with their ongoing development of reusable launch vehicles. Now Virgin Orbit‘s “Launcher One” is carving out its own niche in the commercial space market, as an efficient, flexible launcher of small satellites.

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