Virgin Orbit, the Sir Richard Branson-backed rocket launching business, is suspending operations and payments to staff as it seeks fresh funding. Virgin Orbit has ‘furloughed’ all staff according to business news channel CNBC, and the situation confirmed by senior staff. Shares in Virgin Orbit crashed 33 per cent on March 15th and closed at just […]

A UK all-party parliamentary Science and Technology Select Committee, headed by Greg Clark MP, heard witnesses describe the British approach to satellite launches as being “toxic” and a “disaster” with regards to future space launches. The committee heard from senior figures at Wales-based Space Forge which lost one of its small satellites on the recent […]

Virgin Orbit says a dislodged fuel filter was responsible for its LauncherOne rocket failure on January 9th. The launch took place from Newquay Spaceport in Cornwall with the rocket suspended from a Virgin Orbit converted Boeing 747, Cosmic Girl. The problem filter meant that the rocket’s second stage overheated and being lost along with the […]

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 won an extra launch contract from nano-satellite satellite builder SatRev. Virgin has already successfully orbited four craft for SatRev from Virgin’s base in the Mojave Desert. The new launch agreement covers a number of satellites and provides Poland-based SatRev with the flexibility to launch 500 kg. over multiple launches to a variety […]

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit satellite launch business has raised a financial stop-gap of $10 million (€9.1m), according to a filing with the US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 30th. The cash comes from a sister – but separate – company, Virgin Investments Limited (VIL), the investment arm of the Branson’s Virgin Group. […]

Despite Virgin Orbit’s setback in Cornwall, Scotland’s SaxaVord Spaceport is moving rapidly ahead with its own plans. SaxaVord is materially different to Cornwall’s Newquay spaceport in that it is planning to loft conventional rockets vertically and directly into orbit from its launch pad. SaxaVord has announced a partnership with Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA). This partnership […]

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 […]