Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit heads above the clouds for third commercial flight

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit heads above the clouds for third commercial flight

Mission comes days after company celebrated going public on the Nasdaq through a merger with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II

The third commercial flight of Richard Branson's satellite launch provider Virgin Orbit has taken off from Mojave Air and Spaceport in California Thursday.

The mission, branded "Above the Clouds" in homage to a 1998 song by Gang Starr, is carrying satellites for the U.S. Department of Defense's Space Test Program, Poland's SatRevolution and space-to-cloud data analytics company Spire Global.




The Department of Defense is launching four research and development satellites from multiple government agencies that are experiments in space-based communications and in-space navigation, as well as a university payload sponsored by NASA.

The contract, known as STP-27VPB, was awarded to Virgin Orbit subsidiary VOX Space by DoD's Defense Innovation Unit, which works to strengthen national security and accelerate the adoption of commercial technology in the U.S. military.

SatRevolution is launching two nanosatellites, STORK-3 and SteamSat-2. STORK-3 will be part of an Earth-observation constellation taking medium-resolution photos for customers in the agricultural sector, while SteamSat-2 will test water-fueled thrusters developed by U.K.-based company SteamJet Space Systems.

In addition, Spire Global will launch Adler-1, which will study the space debris environment in low Earth orbit.


Virgin Orbit has carried a total of 19 satellites into orbit prior to Thursday's launch.

Virgin Orbit uses a technique called air launch, in which its 70-foot-long, 57,000-pound LauncherOne rocket is released at an altitude of 35,000 feet from under the wing of a modified 747-400 jet, dubbed Cosmic Girl, rather than from a traditional launch pad on the ground.

After a four-second freefall, LauncherOne's first-stage engine ignites, accelerating the rocket to approximately 8,000 miles per hour. From there, the second stage engine kicks in, taking LauncherOne to a maximum speed of 17,500 miles per hour.

In addition to improving the payload capacity of the rocket, the technique allows LauncherOne to fly on short notice from a wide variety of locations. LauncherOne, which costs an average of $12 million per flight, or $40,000 per kilogram, can carry satellite payloads weighing between 300 and 500 kilograms.

Virgin Orbit uses a technique called air launch, in which its 70-foot-long, 57,000-pound LauncherOne rocket is released at an altitude of 35,000 feet from under the wing of a modified 747-400 jet, dubbed Cosmic Girl, rather than from a traditional la


For the Above the Clouds mission, Cosmic Girl will travel approximately one hour out to sea before releasing LauncherOne just off the Pacific coast. The rocket will then blast off to a circular orbit of 500 kilometers at an inclination of 45 degrees, lower than its previous missions.

Above the Clouds comes days after the company celebrated going public on the Nasdaq through a merger with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II. Shares of Virgin Orbit, which started trading on Dec. 30, finished Thursday's trading session down more than 5%.


Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart previously told FOX Business that the company is planning to launch a total of six flights in 2022. The company has signed new agreements for more than 30 launches with customers, including Japan's All Nippon Airways, HyperSat, Horizon Technologies, SatRevolution and Arqit.

ANA Holdings will create a new spaceport in Japan's Oita region by the end of 2022, pending regulatory approval, and has agreed to procure 20 LauncherOne flights. Virgin Orbit has also established agreements to bring LauncherOne to Brazil, Guam and the United Kingdom, where two flights will take off from Spaceport Cornwall in 2022. In addition, Virgin Orbit is in discussions in Australia and half a dozen other countries around the world for future partnerships.

In an investor presentation in October, Virgin Orbit estimated it will bring in $70 million in revenue by the end of 2022, with more than 50% expected to come from active contracts. The company has roughly $300 million in active contracts, $1.3 billion in active proposals and $2.3 billion in other identified opportunities. Virgin Orbit's Long Beach, California, factory plans to produce as many as 20 rockets per year and the company expects to reach profitability in 2024.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×