Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit plans first space launch
The first orbital launch could happen as early as Saturday.
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Sir Richard Branson plans to send satellites into space using a 747 with a rocket strapped to its wing. The first orbital launch could happen as early as Saturday.
Virgin Orbit took to twitter earlier this week to announce the lauch. "We're very excited to announce that the window for our Launch Demo, @Virgin_Orbit's first orbital test flight with LauncherOne, opens this weekend on May 24th," they said, adding that back up days had been reserved in the case of inclement weather.
The mission will originate from the Mojave Air and Space Port in the Mojave Desert and continue over the Pacific.
The carrier aircraft, which has been coined CosmicGirl, is a modified 747 that is responsible for carrying the LauncherOne rocket. According to Virgin, it is capable of flying thousands of miles in any direction, and is the first 747 in history to be converted for the purpose of rocket launch.
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Footage from Branson's Instagram shows the original fusion of the carrier and LauncherOne that took place at the Long Beach airport in late 2018. Earlier this year, Virgin Orbit conducted a rehearsal flight that simulated the rocket's release.
The maiden launch was anticipated earlier, but was likely pushed back as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Notably, team members have been put to work on the development of medical ventilators within California facilities.
Virgin Orbit’s system will be capable of launching small satellites into space from locations around the world, and has come after years of development. Success of the launch will undoubtably play into the timeline for commercial space flight.
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