The UK’s first-ever orbital space launch is now again planned for the evening of Monday, January 9.
The historic mission, which will be operated out of Cornwall Airport Newquay, will move forward, according to the Virgin Orbit firm.
UK’s First Orbital Space Launch
A modified 747 will launch a rocket over the Atlantic to carry nine satellites into orbit around the Earth.
Virgin canceled a try before Christmas due to rushed further testing, but the company claims it is again in excellent standing.
Earlier this week, the company’s Cosmic Girl-themed jumbo aircraft and LauncherOne-branded booster successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal in preparation for its runway takeoff from Newquay.
With this launch, a new era in the British space sector and new collaborations between businesses, the government, and allies are ushering in.
Tens of thousands of jobs are already related to space in the UK, and both the potential and the global sector are expanding swiftly. With the first satellite launch from UK land and from Europe, we are entering a new era for space in the UK, said Ian Annett, deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency.
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Virgin Orbit
This is a great occasion with incredible international teamwork, said Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall. From right here in Cornwall, Virgin Orbit, the UK Space Agency, and all of our partners are breaking new ground to revolutionize access to space worldwide.
We at Spaceport Cornwall wish everyone luck as the launch window opens; my team and I have worked incredibly hard to get here, according to Melissa Thorpe.
Start Me Up, named after the Rolling Stones’ 1981 classic, will be the first orbital launch from the UK, the first commercial launch from western Europe, and Virgin Orbit’s first international launch.
Five missions have previously been carried out by the 70-foot-long LauncherOne rocket, but they all originated from California’s Mojave Air and Space Port.
The 33 satellites that have already been launched using LauncherONe, according to Virgin Orbit, were all successfully transported to the precise, targeted orbit, proving their capacity to fly through (and launch above) bad weather.
The forthcoming Start Me Up mission’s flight manifest is entirely full, according to the aerospace company.
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