Virgin Orbit
| Use attributes for filter ! | |
| Headquarters | Long Beach |
|---|---|
| California | |
| United States | |
| Number of employees | 390 (2017) |
| Founded | March 2 |
| 2017 | |
| Predecessor | Virgin Galactic |
| Key people | Dan Hart (President and CEO) |
| Parent organizations | Virgin Group |
| Date of Reg. | |
| Date of Upd. | |
| ID | 1104772 |
About Virgin Orbit
Virgin Orbit is a company within the Virgin Group which plans to provide launch services for small satellites. The company was formed in 2017 to develop the air-launched LauncherOne rocket, launched from Cosmic Girl, which had previously been a project of Virgin Galactic.
Virgin Orbit: Branson's rocket firm permanently ceases operations
...By Peter HoskinsBusiness reporterBritish billionaire Sir Richard Branson s rocket company Virgin Orbit has permanently ceased operations, just months after a major mission failure...
Virgin Orbit: Richard Branson's rocket firm files for bankruptcy
...British billionaire Sir Richard Branson s rocket company Virgin Orbit has filed for bankruptcy in the US after failing to secure new investment...
Virgin Orbit: Sir Richard Branson's rocket company lays off 85% of staff
...By Annabelle LiangBusiness reporterBritish billionaire Sir Richard Branson s rocket company Virgin Orbit says it will lay off 85% of staff after failing to secure new investment...
Virgin Orbit to pause all operations from Thursday
...By Christy CooneyBBC NewsVirgin Orbit is to pause operations from Thursday in an apparent attempt to shore up its finances...
UK space launch: Dislodged fuel filter blamed for rocket failure
...The first ever satellite mission from the UK failed to launch last month because a rocket fuel filter had become dislodged, Virgin Orbit says...
UK rocket failure is a setback, not roadblock
... The rocket suffered an " anomaly" late on Monday night after its release by a jumbo jet operated by the American Virgin Orbit company...
Boris Johnson erased from Grant Shapps spaceport picture
... A jumbo jet operated by the American Virgin Orbit company carried a rocket out of Newquay, Cornwall, to release it over the Atlantic Ocean...
UK space launch: Historic Cornwall rocket launch ends in failure
... A jumbo jet operated by the American Virgin Orbit company carried a rocket out of Newquay, Cornwall, to release it high over the Atlantic Ocean...
UK space launch: Historic Cornwall rocket launch ends in failure
By Jonathan AmosBBC News Climate and Science
The First ever satellite mission launched from UK soil has ended in failure.
A Jumbo Jet operated by the American Virgin Orbit company carried a rocket out of Newquay, Cornwall, to release it high over the Atlantic Ocean .
The Rocket ignited and appeared to be ascending correctly. But word then came from The Company that The Rocket had suffered an " anomaly".
The satellites it was carrying could not be released, The Statement said.
The Virgin Orbit system is relatively new. It's only been in operation since 2020.
It suffered a failure on its maiden outing but This Was followed up by four successful flights.
Matt Archer, The Launch director at the UK Space Agency , said the issue occurred in the upper segment of The Rocket .
" The second-stage engine had a technical anomaly and didn't reach the required orbit, " he explained.
" That's now part of an investigation by Virgin Orbit and A Number of government departments, " he told Bbc News .
More Than 2,000 spectators and VIPs had gathered at Cornwall Newquay Airport to watch the 747 leave. They drifted away as news filtered through that something had gone wrong.
Rockets have been sent to space from the UK before, but not to put satellites In Orbit . Those earlier efforts were part of military exercises or for atmospheric research and the vehicles involved came straight back down.
Internationally renowned for making satellites of all sizes, the country's space industry has always had to send its products to foreign spaceports to get them into orbit.
Adding a launch capability means the sector will in future be able to do everything from first design through to mission operations.
Monday night's failure is a blow to all those involved: Virgin Orbit , the satellite owners and Spaceport Cornwall which organised The Flight .
" It's been really emotional, " said Melissa Thorpe, who heads the organisation.
" We put so much into this, everybody has, so it is absolutely gutting. But it's space and the cliché is it's hard. We know it's hard. "
Source of news: bbc.com
