Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit, with a rocket under the wing of a modified Boeing 747 airliner, takes off to make a key drop test of its Mojave satellite high-altitude launch system. California, July 10, 2019.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Virgin Orbit, the rocket company founded by billionaire Richard Branson, successfully put its first satellites into space using its new aerial launch system.
The California-based company said 10 mini-satellites had been flown into space by the same rocket, which was launched from the wing of an old Boeing 747 jumbo jet as it flew over the Pacific Ocean.
The jet, nicknamed Cosmic Girl, took off from Mojave Air and Space Port at approximately 10:50 am PST on Sunday. Nearly 60 minutes later, it launched the “LauncherOne” rocket about 50 miles south of the California Channel Islands at an altitude of 35,000 feet.
After launch, the rocket engine ignited, accelerating LauncherOne into space. About two hours later, at an altitude of 500 km, it deployed 10 shoe-sized satellites, which were developed by universities and selected by NASA. The satellites will be used for space research purposes.
“A new front door to space has just opened,” Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit, said in a statement. “That LauncherOne has been able to successfully enter orbit today is a testament to the talent, accuracy, driving and ingenuity of this team.”
The success of the launch comes after Virgin Orbit tried and failed to launch a rocket in May last year. The company diagnosed the failure of a high-pressure fuel line in the engine, which caused the rocket to shut down shortly after launch.
“Virgin Orbit has achieved something that many thought impossible. It was so inspiring to see our specially adapted Virgin Atlantic 747, Cosmic Girl, send the LauncherOne rocket into orbit,” Branson said in a statement.
“This magnificent flight is the culmination of many years of hard work and will also trigger a whole new generation of innovators on the road to orbit.”
The Virgin Orbit launch technique means that the company can theoretically launch rockets at short notice from almost anywhere on Earth. It plans to launch 747 rockets from Cornwall, England, for example.
Branson expects to meet the growing demand for small, relatively inexpensive satellites. He is not the only billionaire involved in the space race. Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Elon Musk of Tesla are also building spaceships to try to capitalize on the fast-growing industry.
Virgin Orbit describes itself as a “dedicated launch service for small commercial and government-built satellites.”
The company said it plans to officially make the transition to commercial service for its next mission, adding that it already has subsequent launches reserved for customers such as the U.S. Space Force and the United Kingdom Royal Air Force, as well as companies such as Swarm Technologies, the Italian SITAEL, and the Danish GomSpace.
Virgin Orbit is a spin-off of Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism company. Virgin Orbit, a wholly-owned company, is privately owned by Branson’s Virgin Group multinational conglomerate.
Speculation has varied greatly over how much Virgin Orbit has invested so far, with estimates ranging from $ 400 million to $ 500 million and even $ 700 million.
In an interview with CNBC in October, Hart declined to comment on how much Virgin Orbit has spent so far, but said he was “holding discussions” about new investments, with the search for nearly $ 150 million in new capital .
Investors include Branson’s Virgin Group and Mubadala Investment Company, the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund that also has a major stake in Virgin Galactic.