Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit reaches space on 2nd try
(AP Photo/Matt Hartman)LOS ANGELES – Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said. “According to telemetry, LauncherOne has reached orbit!” Virgin Orbit tweeted later. Virgin Orbit touts the flexibility of its capability to begin its missions by using airports around the globe. Virgin Orbit attempted its first demonstration launch in May 2020. Virgin Orbit is separate from Virgin Galactic, the company founded by Branson to carry passengers on suborbital hops in which they will experience the sensations and sights of spaceflight.
Virgin Orbit closes in on launching rocket from 747 jet, attempting to reach low-Earth orbit
Virgin Orbit said an engine shutdown kept the 70-foot-long LauncherOne rocket from reaching orbit during an air launch last May. This time, Richard Branson’s company hopes to send 10 NASA satellites into space. Virgin Orbit plans to eventually send commercial and government satellites to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and even asteroids. For this mission, some of the NASA satellites on board are designed to study the weather in space and pick up space debris. “We are working vigorously and looking at all the details making sure we have the best shot possible to get to orbit,” Hart said.
UCF science getting more time in zero-G with Virgin Galactic --and soon Virgin Orbit
Colwell and UCF planetary scientist Addie Dove are co-investigators on the project that has previously flown twice with Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo will be carried by plane or “mothership” called VMS Eve taking off from New Mexico’s spaceport. Virgin Orbit, a sister Virgin company, is set to launch its first operational mission which includes science selected by NASA, including UCF’s Q-PACE small satellite. Q-PACE is another small payload with mighty research goals: to help scientists understand how planets formed. Virgin Orbit is targeting launch before the end of the year.