Engineering:LauncherOne

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Short description: Two-stage, air-launched rocket by Virgin Orbit
LauncherOne
LauncherOne Diagram.svg
LauncherOne diagram
ManufacturerVirgin Orbit
Country of originUnited States
Project costUS$700 million[1]
Cost per launchUS$12 million[2]
Size
HeightApprox. 21.3 m (70 ft)[3]
MassApprox. 30 tons
Stages2[3]
Capacity
Payload to 500 km SSO[3]300 kg (660 lb)
Payload to 230 km LEO[3]500 kg (1,100 lb)
Associated rockets
FamilyAir launch to orbit
ComparableElectron, Vector-H, Falcon 1, Pegasus
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sites
  • Mojave Air and Space Port, California
  • Newquay Airport, United Kingdom
Total launches6
Successes4
Failures2
First flight25 May 2020
Last flight9 January 2023
First stage
Diameter1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)[4][3]
EnginesNewtonThree (N3)
ThrustVacuum: 326.8 kN (73,500 lbf)
Burn timeApprox. 180 seconds
FuelRP-1/LOX
Second stage
Diameter1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)[4]
EnginesNewtonFour (N4)
ThrustVacuum: 22.2 kN (5,000 lbf)[5]
Burn timeApprox. 360 seconds
FuelRP-1/LOX

LauncherOne was a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed and flown by Virgin Orbit that had operational flights from 2021 to 2023, after being in development from 2007 to 2020. It was an air-launched rocket, designed to carry smallsat payloads of up to 300 kg (660 lb) into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO),[3] following air launch from a carrier aircraft at high altitude. The rocket was carried to the upper atmosphere on a modified Boeing 747-400, named Cosmic Girl, and released over ocean. Initial work on the program was done by Virgin Galactic, another Virgin Group subsidiary, before a separate entity — Virgin Orbit — was formed in 2017 to complete development and operate the launch service provider business separately from the passenger-carrying Virgin Galactic business.

The first successful flight was on 17 January 2021, which delivered a payload of 10 CubeSats to low Earth orbit (LEO).[6] Three further launches successfully reached orbit. An initial test flight was unsuccessful on 25 May 2020, when the rocket failed to reach space.[7] The final flight on 9 January 2023 also failed to reach orbit.

LauncherOne was the first all liquid-fuelled air-launched orbital rocket.[8]

From 2007 to 2015, Virgin had intended LauncherOne to be a somewhat smaller vehicle with a 200 kg (440 lb) payload to low Earth orbit. In 2015, Virgin modified the vehicle design to better target their intended market, and increased the vehicle payload capacity to 300 kg (660 lb) launched to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit, suitable for CubeSats and small payloads. Virgin Orbit targeted a launch price around US$12 million for the rocket.[2]

With Virgin Orbit shutting down all operations after bankruptcy in 2023, the vehicle is unlikely to see additional launches.[9]

History

Virgin Galactic began working on the LauncherOne concept in 2007,[10] and the technical specifications were first described in some detail in late 2009.[11] The LauncherOne configuration was proposed to be an expendable, two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket air-launched from a White Knight Two carrier aircraft.[12] This would make it a similar configuration to that used by Orbital Sciences' Pegasus, or a smaller version of the StratoLaunch air-launched rocket system.

By 2012, several commercial customers had signed early contracts for launches signaling demand-side support for new small commercial-oriented launch vehicles. These included GeoOptics, Skybox Imaging, Spaceflight Services, and Planetary Resources. Both Surrey Satellite Technology and Sierra Nevada Space Systems were at the time reported to be developing satellite buses "optimized to the design of LauncherOne".[13][14] In October 2012, Virgin announced that LauncherOne would be designed so that it could place 200 kg (440 lb) in Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[15] Virgin planned at the time to market the 200 kg (440 lb) payload delivery to Sun-synchronous orbit for under US$10 million per mission,[13] while the maximum payload for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions would be somewhat larger at 500 kg (1,100 lb).[16]

Under plans announced in 2012, the second stage was to be powered by NewtonOne, a 16 kN (3,600 lbf) thrust engine, and the first stage by a scaled-up version called NewtonTwo, with 211 kN (47,000 lbf) of thrust. Design and construction of the first engines was completed by 2014. NewtonOne was tested up to a full-duration burn of five minutes. NewtonTwo made several short-duration firings by early 2014.[16] Ultimately, however, neither NewtonOne nor NewtonTwo would be used on LauncherOne.

In 2015, Virgin Galactic established a 14,000 m2 (150,000 sq ft) research, development, and manufacturing center for LauncherOne at Long Beach Airport, California .[17] The company reported in March 2015, that they were on schedule to begin test flights of LauncherOne with its NewtonThree engine by the end of 2016,[18] but they did not achieve that objective.

On 25 June 2015, the company signed a contract with OneWeb Ltd. for 39 satellite launches for its satellite constellation with an option for an additional 100 launches,[19] but in 2018 OneWeb canceled all but four, prompting a lawsuit from Virgin Orbit.[20] OneWeb filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020.[21]

News reports in September 2015 indicated that the heavier payload of 200 kg (440 lb) was to be achieved by longer fuel tanks and use of the recently qualified NewtonThree engine, but this also meant that the Virgin-developed carrier aircraft White Knight Two would no longer be able to lift the rocket to launch altitude, so in December 2015, Virgin announced a change to the carrier plane for LauncherOne to carry the heavier payload. The carrier aircraft subsequently was changed to a used Boeing 747-400,[22] Cosmic Girl, previously operated by Virgin Galactic's sister company, Virgin Atlantic, and purchased outright by Virgin Group from Boeing upon the expiration of that airframe's lease. The 747 will allow a larger LauncherOne to carry the heavier payloads. The modification work on the company's 747 was expected to be completed in 2016, to be followed by orbital test launches of the rocket in 2017.[23][24][25]

It was further announced in December 2015 that the revised LauncherOne would utilize the larger NewtonThree rocket engine on the booster stage, with the NewtonFour powering the second stage.[23] NewtonThree was to be a 260–335 kN (58,000–75,000 lbf)-thrust engine, and began hot-fire testing by March 2015.[18][26] The NewtonFour engine would power the second stage. NewtonThree generate 326.8 kN (73,500 lbf) of thrust while NewtonFour deliver 26.5 kN (6,000 lbf) to the second stage and is capable of multiple restarts.[27]

On 2 March 2017, Virgin Galactic announced that its 200-member LauncherOne team was being spun off into a new company called Virgin Orbit.[28] A subsidiary company of Virgin Orbit called Vox Space was created to carry out business which require strict security requirements.[29][30] (As of 2017), the company planned to fly approximately twice a month by 2020.[31]

In September 2017, the first test flights of LauncherOne were delayed to 2018.[31] By June 2018, the Virgin Orbit captive carry flight testing campaign for LauncherOne, including a planned drop test of an unfueled rocket, was licensed to begin in July 2018, and could run for up to six months.[27]

In the event, no LauncherOne test flights occurred in 2018 and were delayed further, to December 2019, with only the carrier aircraft beginning to fly in 2018. The first three test flights of Cosmic Girl, including the pylon but not the rocket, happened on 23, 25 and 27 August 2018.[32][33] A high-speed taxi test, with a rocket mounted beneath the aircraft, took place in early November 2018.[34] The aircraft flew its first test flight with both pylon and rocket attached on 18 November 2018.[35][36]

Virgin Orbit announced many upgrade and expansion plans that were not finished, such as a 3 stages variant.[37] On 17 March 2022 Polish Space Agency and Virgin Orbit signed an agreement to use LauncherOne as means to send satellites into orbit, with its first launch from Poland planned for 2023.[38]

Its parent, Virgin Orbit, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 4, 2023.[39]

Flights

Cosmic Girl carrying LauncherOne during the first successful flight in January 2021.

The maiden flight of LauncherOne took place on 25 May 2020. The flight failed a few seconds after the ignition of the rocket due to a premature shutdown of the first stage engine, caused by a break in a propellant feed line,[40] and the rocket did not reach space. The launch failure was attributed to a failure of a high-pressure liquid oxygen fuel line in the NewtonThree engine. Due to the failure, oxygen was no longer supplied to the engine and the flight was terminated. The issue with the fuel line was addressed by strengthening the broken components.[41][42]

The second launch took place on 17 January 2021, and was the first to successfully reach orbit.[6] The rocket deployed 10 CubeSats for NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites mission (ELaNa 20).[43] Cosmic Girl took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California at 18:38 UTC. The aircraft launched the LauncherOne rocket at 19:39 UTC.[8] The launch occurred at the altitude of 10,700 m (35,100 ft).[44] On 17 January 2021, both NewtonThree and NewtonFour performed as expected.[43] During launch, NewtonFour fired twice; once to inject the second stage and the payloads into a transfer orbit, and again to circularize the orbit.[43][45]

On 9 January 2023, the first UK launch and final launch for the rocket took place, but it was unsuccessful due to an issue in the upper segment of the rocket.[46]

Design

LauncherOne is a two-stage air-launched vehicle. The rocket has a diameter of 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) for the first stage and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) for the second stage and payload fairing.[4]

In October 2019, the company announced plans to develop a three-stage variant that would be capable of launching 100 kg (220 lb) to the Moon, 70 kg (150 lb) to Venus, or 50 kg (110 lb) to Mars.[37]

Engines

LauncherOne is a two-stage air-launched vehicle using Newton engines, RP-1/LOX liquid rocket engines. The second stage was to be powered by NewtonOne, a 211 kN (47,000 lbf) thrust engine. It was originally intended that the first stage will be powered by a scaled-up design of the same basic technology as NewtonOne, called NewtonTwo, with 211.5 kN (47,500 lbf) of thrust. Both engines had been designed, and (As of January 2014) first articles were built. NewtonOne was tested up to a full-duration burn of five minutes. NewtonTwo made several short-duration firings by early 2014.[16]

NewtonThree is a 260–335 kN (58,000–75,000 lbf)-thrust engine, and began hot-fire tests (As of March 2015). NewtonThree powered the first stage of LauncherOne.[18][47]

2015 redesign: new engines, larger payloads, new carrier aircraft

LauncherOne will be launched from this former Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747, named Cosmic Girl.

News reports in September 2015 indicated that the higher payload is to be achieved by longer fuel tanks and the NewtonThree engine but this will mean that White Knight Two would no longer be able to lift it to launch altitude. The rocket was to be carried to launch altitude by a Boeing 747.[48][49] The revised LauncherOne utilizes both the Newton 3 and Newton 4 rocket engines.[23]

In December 2015, Virgin announced a change to the carrier plane for LauncherOne, as well as a substantially-larger design point for the rocket itself. The carrier aircraft will now be a Boeing 747, which will in turn allow a larger LauncherOne to carry heavier payloads than previously planned. The modification work on the particular Boeing 747 that Virgin has purchased is expected to be completed in 2016, to be followed by Orbital test launches of the rocket in 2017.[23]

Intended usage

LauncherOne is designed to launch a 300 kg (660 lb) payload to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), suitable for CubeSats and small payloads.[50][51] Virgin Orbit has also announced the ability of LauncherOne to send payloads into heliocentric orbit for flybys of Mars, Venus or asteroids.[52]

Launch sites

Mojave Air and Space Port

Virgin Orbit integrated payloads at their headquarters in Long Beach, California.[3]

LauncherOne launched from the Cosmic Girl Boeing 747-400 carrier, attached to a pylon on the aircraft's left wing, and released over the ocean at a location depending on the desired orbital inclination. This process avoids typical delays for ground launches due to weather and upper-level winds.[3] William Pomerantz of Virgin Orbit stated that any airport that can support a Boeing 747 could have been used, subject to local legislation.[53]

The carrier plane lifted off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California , United States and Newquay Airport in Cornwall, United Kingdom . The company also had plans to use other airports such as Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Alcântara Space Center in Brazil that never materialized. Other proposed launch sites included Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Hawaii, José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Puerto Rico,[54] Oita Airport in Japan , Andersen Air Force Base in Guam[55] and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport in Australia .[56]

Past launches

Flight no. Date and time
(UTC) 		Launch site Payload Orbit Customer Outcome
1 25 May 2020
19:50[57] 		Mojave Air and Space Port Launch Demo with "inert test payload" (Starshine 4) and INTERNSAT (intended to remain attached to the upper stage). Low Earth Virgin Orbit Failure
Flight test, maiden orbital flight. Launch failure after successful release and ignition of the NewtonThree engines on the first stage. A high-pressure propellant line broke causing liquid oxygen to stop flowing into the engine. Issue was addressed through strengthening engine components that broke.[42][41] Prior to failure aerodynamics including fins acted as expected.[41]
2 Mojave Air and Space Port ELaNa 20 payloads: CACTUS-1, CAPE-3, EXOCUBE-2, MiTEE, PICS 1, PICS 2, PolarCube, Q-PACE, RadFXSat-2, TechEdSat-7.[58] Low Earth NASA Success
Dedicated launch of 10 NASA sponsored CubeSats. First successful launch of LauncherOne and the first fully liquid-fueled air-launched rocket to reach orbit.
3 30 June 2021
14:47[59] 		Mojave Air and Space Port STP-27VPA, BRIK-II, STORK-4, STORK-5 (MARTA) Low Earth MDA, USA SMDC, U.S. Navy, Royal Netherlands Air Force , SatRevolution Success
Tubular Bells, Part One mission.[60] STP-27VPA is composed of four military CubeSats: Gunsmoke-J 3, HALO-Net Free Flyer, and two CNCE Blk 1 satellites.[61]
4 13 January 2022
22:51:39[62] 		Mojave Air and Space Port STP-27VPB (PAN-A and B, GEARRS-3, TechEdSat-13), SteamSat-2, STORK-3, ADLER-1 (Lemur-2 Krywe). Low Earth Department of Defense, NASA, SteamJet Space Systems, SatRevolution, Austrian Space Forum Success
Above the Clouds mission. STP-27VPB mission for the Defense Innovation Unit is composed of four CubeSats: PAN-A/B (ELaNa 29 mission), GEARRS-3, and TechEdSat-13.
5 2 July 2022
06:53[63][64] 		Mojave Air and Space Port CTIM-FD, GPX-2, Gunsmoke-L (Lonestar) × 2, MISR-B, NACHOS-2, Recurve, Slingshot-1 Low Earth U.S. Space Force, DND, CU Boulder, Langley Research Center Success
Straight Up mission. STP-S28A mission for the U.S. Space Force, consisting of 7 satellites. The ELaNa 39 mission, consisting of two CubeSats,[65] was launched on this flight.[66] Virgin Orbit's first nighttime launch.[63]
6 9 January 2023
23:08:49[67][68] 		Spaceport Cornwall AMAN, CIRCE A & B, DOVER, ForgeStar-0, IOD-3 Amber, Prometheus 2A & 2B, STORK-6 Low Earth ETCO, Dstl / NRL, RHEA Group, Space Forge, Satellite Applications Catapult, UK Ministry of Defence / NRO, SatRevolution Failure
Start Me Up mission. First LauncherOne flight from Spaceport Cornwall. The rocket suffered an anomaly and did not reach orbit.[69]

Not materialized launches

Flight no. Date and time
(UTC) 		Launch site Payload Orbit Customer Note
7 2023[70] Mojave Air and Space Port QPS-SAR-5 Low Earth iQPS Launched on Rocket Lab Electron
Moved to Rocket Lab's Electron rocket.
2023[71] Mojave Air and Space Port Athena & STP-S28C payloads Low Earth U.S. Air Force , NovaWurks
STP-S28C mission.
2023[72] Mojave Air and Space Port Low Earth U.S. Air Force , CU Boulder, The Aerospace Corporation
STP-S28B mission.[73] The ELaNa-46 mission, consisting of three CubeSats, will launch on this flight.[66]
2023[74][75] Mojave Air and Space Port HYPERSAT 1 Low Earth HyperSat
First of six launches contracted to Virgin Orbit for HyperSat's hyperspectral satellite constellation.
2023[76] Mojave Air and Space Port NorthStar × 3 Low Earth NorthStar
2023[77] Mojave Air and Space Port Lemur-2 × ? Low Earth Spire Global
First of multiple launches contracted to Virgin Orbit for Spire Global.
[78][79][80] Mojave Air and Space Port SatRevolution Mars mission Areocentric SatRevolution
Commercial smallsat mission to Mars, using the Exploration 3-Stage Variant of LauncherOne.

Launch statistics

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dawkins, David. "Inside Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson's Small Satellite Bid To Match Musk And Bezos In The Billionaire Space Race". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/09/06/inside-virgin-orbit-richard-bransons-small-satellite-bid-to-match-musk-and-bezos-in-the-billionaire-space-race/#6dffb6ee7ab9. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Daniel Oberhaus (2021-01-17). "Virgin Orbit Just Launched a Rocket From a 747". Wired (magazine). https://www.wired.com/story/virgin-orbit-just-launched-a-rocket-from-a-747/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Launcherone Service Guide". https://virginorbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/LauncherOne-Service-Guide-August-2020.pdf. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Virgin Orbit LauncherOne Data Sheet[Usurped!] Space Launch Report
  5. ↑ "A New Approach to Proven Technology". Virgin Orvit. https://virginorbit.com/technology/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Christian Davenport (2021-01-17). "Virgin Orbit rocket reaches Earth orbit, adding an entrant to the commercial space race". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/17/richard-branson-virgin-orbit-launch-success/. 
  7. ↑ "Virgin Orbits air-launched rocket fails on first test flight". Spaceflight Now. 25 May 2020. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/05/25/virgin-orbits-air-launched-rocket-fails-on-first-test-flight/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Thomas Burghardt (2021-01-17). "LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt with NASA CubeSats". NASASpaceFlight.com. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/launcherone-second-attempt-nasa-cubesats/. 
  9. ↑ Sheetz, Michael (2023-05-23). "Virgin Orbit sells assets in bankruptcy auction to Rocket Lab, Stratolaunch and Vast's Launcher" (in en). https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/23/virgin-orbit-bankruptcy-sale-rocket-lab-stratolaunch-vasts-launcher.html. 
  10. ↑ Virgin Galactic [@virgingalactic] (2 March 2017). "Our #LauncherOne program has come a long way since we began it in earnest in 2012 (even further since we first dreamt up the idea in 2007)!". https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/837274024635850753. 
  11. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (10 November 2009). "LauncherOne: Virgin Galactic's other project". BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jonathanamos/2009/11/launcherone-virgins-galactics.shtml. 
  12. ↑ Rob Coppinger (11 July 2012). "Virgin Galactic Unveils LauncherOne Rocket for Private Satellite Launches". http://www.space.com/16530-virgin-galactic-satellite-launches-launcherone.html. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Virgin Galactic relaunches its smallsat launch business". NewSpace Journal. 12 July 2012. http://www.newspacejournal.com/2012/07/11/virgin-galactic-relaunches-its-smallsat-launch-business/. 
  14. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (11 July 2012). "Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic to launch small satellites". BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18801180. 
  15. ↑ Lindsey, Clark (18 October 2012). "ISPCS 2012: Thursday Afternoon session". NewSpace Watch. http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/ispcs-2012-thurs-afternoon-session.html. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Boyle, Alan (23 January 2014). "Hello, Newton: Virgin Galactic unveils
    its 'other' rocket engine"    . NBC News. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/virgin-voyage/hello-newton-virgin-galactic-unveils-its-other-rocket-engine-n15051.     
  17. ↑ "Virgin Galactic Opens New Design and Manufacturing Facility for LauncherOne". Space Daily. 18 February 2015. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Virgin_Galactic_Opens_New_Design_and_Manufacturing_Facility_for_LauncherOne_999.html. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Foust, Jeff (16 March 2015). "Virgin Galactic's LauncherOne on Schedule for 2016 First Launch". SpaceNews. http://spacenews.com/virgin-galactics-launcherone-on-schedule-for-2016-first-launch/. 
  19. ↑ "Virgin Galactic Signs Contract with OneWeb to Perform 39 Satellite Launches" (Press release). Long Beach, California: Virgin Galactic. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-07-28. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  20. ↑ OneWeb's first big deployment launch slips to January SpaceNews – 8 November 2019
  21. ↑ Clark, Stephen. "OneWeb files for bankruptcy – Spaceflight Now". https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/30/oneweb-files-for-bankruptcy/. 
  22. ↑ Rundle, Michael (4 December 2015). "How Virgin Galactic will launch satellites from an old 747". Wired UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-12/04/virgin-galactic-747-satellite-launcher. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Foust, Jeff (4 December 2015). "Virgin Galactic Acquires Boeing 747 for LauncherOne Missions". http://spacenews.com/virgin-galactic-acquires-boeing-747-for-launcherone-missions/. 
  24. ↑ "Virgin Galactic Reveals Boeing 747 For LauncherOne". http://aviationweek.com/space/virgin-galactic-reveals-boeing-747-launcherone. 
  25. ↑ "Virgin boosts rocket capability". 15 September 2015. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34254873. 
  26. ↑ "Analysis: Virgin Galactic thrusting ahead with satellite launch scheme". Flightglobal.com. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-virgin-galactic-thrusting-ahead-with-satellite-launch-414159/. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Baylor, Michael (19 June 2018). "Virgin Orbit readies LauncherOne rocket for maiden flight". NASASpaceFlight.com. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/06/virgin-orbit-launcherone-maiden-flight/. 
  28. ↑ Davenport, Christian (2 March 2017). "Richard Branson starting a new venture dedicated to launching small satellites into space". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/03/02/richard-branson-starting-a-new-venture-dedicated-to-launching-small-satellites-into-space/. 
  29. ↑ "Richard Branson Launches New Company to Compete with Elon Musk". 2 November 2017. https://futurism.com/richard-branson-company-elon-musk/. 
  30. ↑ "Vox Space". Vox Space. https://voxspace.com/. 
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Henry, Caleb (12 September 2017). "Virgin Orbit still expects to fly twice a month in 2020 despite delayed test campaign". http://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-still-expects-to-fly-twice-a-month-in-2020-despite-delayed-test-campaign/. 
  32. ↑ Guy Norris (28 August 2018). "Virgin Nears LauncherOne Captive-Carry Tests". Aviation Week. http://aviationweek.com/space/virgin-nears-launcherone-captive-carry-tests. 
  33. ↑ "Virgin Orbit performs LauncherOne aircraft flight tests". SpaceNews. 28 August 2018. https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-performs-launcherone-aircraft-flight-tests/. 
  34. ↑ O'Callaghan, Jonathan (13 November 2018). "Virgin Orbit Just Completed A Key Test of Its Rocket-Carrying Plane". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2018/11/13/virgin-orbit-just-completed-a-key-test-of-its-rocket-carrying-plane/. 
  35. ↑ Boyle, Alan (18 November 2018). "Virgin Orbit jet aces its first captive-carry flight with LauncherOne rocket attached". https://www.geekwire.com/2018/captive-carry-captured-virgin-orbit-jet-spotted-first-flight-rocket-wing/. 
  36. ↑ "All the latest news from Virgin". https://virgin.com/about-virgin/latest. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Virgin Orbit to add extra rocket stage to LauncherOne for interplanetary missions Caleb Henry, SpaceNews – 24 October 2019.
  38. ↑ Polska Agencja Prasowa (17 March 2022). "First mission of LauncherOne rocket from Poland planned for 2023". TheFirstNews. https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/first-mission-of-launcherone-rocket-from-poland-planned-for-2023-28844. 
  39. ↑ "Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy" (in en). April 4, 2023. https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/richard-bransons-virgin-orbit-files-bankruptcy. 
  40. ↑ Clark, Stephen (25 July 2020). "Virgin Orbit traces cause of LauncherOne engine failure to propellant line". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/07/25/virgin-orbit-traces-cause-of-launcherone-test-flight-mishap-to-propellant-line/. 
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Foust, Jeff (2020-07-22). "Virgin Orbit identifies cause of engine shutdown on first LauncherOne flight". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-identifies-cause-of-engine-shutdown-on-first-launcherone-flight/. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Clark, Stephen (July 25, 2020). "Virgin Orbit traces cause of LauncherOne engine failure to propellant line". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/07/25/virgin-orbit-traces-cause-of-launcherone-test-flight-mishap-to-propellant-line/. 
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Mike Wall (2021-01-17). "Virgin Orbit launches 10 satellites to orbit in landmark test flight". Space.com. https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-launches-10-satellites-to-orbit. 
  44. ↑ Jonathan Amos (2021-01-17). "Branson's Virgin rocket takes satellites to orbit". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55699262. 
  45. ↑ Guy Norris (2021-01-17). "Virgin Orbit Achieves Success With Second LauncherOne Test". Aviation Week. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/space/virgin-orbit-achieves-success-second-launcherone-test. 
  46. ↑ "UK space launch: Historic Cornwall rocket launch ends in failure". BBC News. 10 January 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64218883. 
  47. ↑ Thisdell, Dan (2015-06-30). "ANALYSIS: Virgin Galactic thrusting ahead with satellite launch scheme". Flightglobal.com. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-virgin-galactic-thrusting-ahead-with-satellite-launch-414159/. 
  48. ↑ ""Virgin Galactic Reveals Boeing 747 For LauncherOne".". http://aviationweek.com/space/virgin-galactic-reveals-boeing-747-launcherone. 
  49. ↑ "Virgin boosts rocket capability". 2015-09-15. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34254873. 
  50. ↑ Dave Mosher (2020-10-27). "Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit has spent US$1 billion trying to reach to space — while a small New Zealand startup got to orbit for a fraction of that". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/richard-branson-virgin-orbit-peter-beck-rocket-lab-development-costs-2020-10. 
  51. ↑ Stephen Clark (2021-01-16). "NASA takes a chance on Virgin Orbit with company's second test launch". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/01/16/nasa-takes-a-chance-on-virgin-orbit-with-companys-second-orbital-test-launch/. 
  52. ↑ Caleb Henry (2019-10-24). "Virgin Orbit to add extra rocket stage to LauncherOne for interplanetary missions". Space.com. https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-to-add-extra-rocket-stage-to-launcherone-for-interplanetary-missions/. 
  53. ↑ "Virgin is getting close to Orbit". TMRO. 2019-09-08. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Hl_HNY8J8. 
  54. ↑ Clark, Stephen (31 August 2018). "Virgin Orbit nears first test flights with air-launched rocket". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/08/31/virgin-orbit-nears-first-test-flights-with-air-launched-rocket/. 
  55. ↑ "Oita Prefecture to Foster Local NewSpace Industry Following Collaboration with Virgin Orbit". Virgin Orbit. 2 April 2020. https://virginorbit.com/oita-partners-with-virgin-orbit-to-establish-first-horizontal-spaceport-in-asia/. 
  56. ↑ "Wagner Corporation collaborates with Virgin Orbit to bring national air-launch capability to Australia". Virgin Orbit. 20 September 2022. https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/wagner-corporation-collaborates-with-virgin-orbit-to-bring-national-air-launch-capability-to-australia/. 
  57. ↑ Stephen Clark (2020-05-25). "Virgin Orbit's air-launched rocket fails on first test flight". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/05/25/virgin-orbits-air-launched-rocket-fails-on-first-test-flight/. 
  58. ↑ "NASA's ELaNa 20 Mission First to Fly on Virgin Orbit Launch". NASA. 13 January 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-elana-20-mission-first-to-fly-on-virgin-orbit-launch.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  59. ↑ Corbett, Tobias (30 June 2021). "LauncherOne lofts defense and commercial satellites on first operational flight". NASASpaceFlight.com. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/06/launcherone-first-operational/. 
  60. ↑ "Totally Tubular: Update on Our Next Launch". Virgin Orbit. 8 June 2021. https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/totally-tubular-update-on-our-next-launch/. 
  61. ↑ Clark, Stephen (1 July 2021). "Virgin Orbit's first operational mission deploys military CubeSats". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/07/01/virgin-orbits-first-operational-mission-deploys-military-cubesats/. 
  62. ↑ Wall, Mike (14 January 2022). "Virgin Orbit sends 7 satellites to orbit in fourth mid-air launch". Space.com. https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-launches-seven-satellites-january-2022. 
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 Foust, Jeff (2 July 2022). "Virgin Orbit launches Space Force mission". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-launches-space-force-mission/. 
  64. ↑ Burghardt, Thomas (July 2022). "Virgin Orbit launches seven satellites for US Space Force and NASA". NASASpaceFlight. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/07/virgin-orbit-straight-up/. 
  65. ↑ "Upcoming ELaNa CubeSat Launches". NASA. 25 March 2022. https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches. 
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 Higginbotham, Scott (9 August 2021). "CubeSat Launch Initiative – Upcoming Flights". NASA. p. 3. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/15.higginbotham_nasa_town_hall_2021_smallsat-csli.pdf.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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  68. ↑ Graham, William (2023-01-09). "Virgin Orbit fails on first mission from the UK with Start Me Up" (in en-US). https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/01/virgin-orbit-start-me-up/. 
  69. ↑ Grush, Lauren (2023-01-09). "Virgin Orbit Rocket Suffers Failure During First UK Flight - BNN Bloomberg". https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/virgin-orbit-rocket-suffers-failure-during-first-uk-flight-1.1867841. 
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  72. ↑ Baylor, Michael. "LauncherOne - STP-S28B". Next Spaceflight. https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/4159. 
  73. ↑ Krebs, Gunter (29 March 2022). "LauncherOne (L1)". Gunter's Space Page. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/launcherone.htm. 
  74. ↑ "QinetiQ to lead development of Hypersat's next generation hyperspectral satellites, due for launch by Virgin Orbit in 2023". Qinetiq. 21 April 2021. https://www.qinetiq.com/en/news/qinetiq-to-lead-development-of-hypersats-next-generation. 
  75. ↑ "Virgin Orbit to Launch Hyperspectral Constellation for QinetiQ, HyperSat" (Press release). Virgin Orbit. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
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  77. ↑ "Virgin Orbit, Spire Global Sign Multilaunch Agreement". Virgin Orbit (Press release). 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  78. ↑ Henry, Caleb (24 October 2019). "Virgin Orbit to add extra rocket stage to LauncherOne for interplanetary missions". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-to-add-extra-rocket-stage-to-launcherone-for-interplanetary-missions/. 
  79. ↑ O'Callaghan, Jonathan (9 October 2019). "Virgin Orbit Is Planning An Ambitious Mission To Mars In 2022". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2019/10/09/virgin-orbit-is-planning-an-ambitious-mission-to-mars-in-2022/. 
  80. ↑ "Sultanate of Oman and SatRevolution announce international consortium for country's first satellite launch and first mission to deep space". 26 January 2022. http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=59263. 

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