By now Spaceport Cornwall, near Newquay in the South-West of England, had expected regular ‘flights’ from the Virgin Orbit ‘Cosmic Girl’ aircraft and rocket combination. That enterprise went bust in May 2023, but the Spaceport is now planning for its next launch activity. Virgin Orbit’s modified jet Cosmic Girl took off from Spaceport Cornwall on […]

Virgin Orbit lost its LauncherOne rocket on January 9th when its second stage failed to operate correctly. CEO Dan Hart – speaking on a panel at the SmallSat Symposium in California – said that a small, and inexpensive part, might have been the cause. The problem flight took place from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay, Cornwall […]

Virgin Orbit has reported that its Cosmic Girl launch from Cornwall on January 9th “ultimately fell short of reaching its target orbit”. The company admitted that the effort was not a moment to remember. Investors shared the sentiment and sent Virgin Orbit Holdings share price on the Nasdaq exchange crashing down 22 per cent on […]

Virgin Orbit failed on its debut British launch mission. Its heavily modified ‘Cosmic Girl’ 747 aircraft took off on time in the evening of January 9th from Spaceport Cornwall, complete with its LauncherOne rocket strapped under its port wing. But the rocket failed to work as designed. The LauncherOne’s second stage suffered a technical “anomaly” […]

Subject to last-minute weather limitations, January 9th should see Virgin Orbit’s converted 747 jet, ‘Cosmic Girl’, take off with its LauncherOne rocket fixed under its port wing. The aircraft will leave Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay with the 70ft rocket and its cargo. That cargo is a batch of nine smallish satellites which it will deploy […]

Aerospace manufacturing specialist TISICS has received funding from the UK Space Agency to develop demisable launcher components that will reduce the risk of damage to spacecraft by space debris, whilst reducing the processing time and materials waste experienced from current HPV-liner manufacturing. According to the Government’s National Space Strategy, published in 2021, the UK’s space […]

Following our report on the progress of first satellite launch from UK soil, UK government ministers and industry executives have welcomed the upcoming Virgin Orbit mission and its benefits. Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft, ground support equipment, and rocket set to arrive in Cornwall this week. Made possible by funding from the UK Space Agency, the […]