Rocket launch today

A giant leap for the U.K. space sector is set to take place tonight as Virgin Orbit readies for its first-ever launch from Britain, and from Europe.

EST (2100 GMT), courtesy of Virgin Orbit, or directly at the [company's YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@VirginOrbit) (opens in new tab). Defence Science and Technology Laboratory designed to study the ionosphere (the upper region of the [Earth's atmosphere](https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html) where [space weather](https://www.space.com/space-weather) occurs), and an innovative navigation satellite co-funded by the European Space Agency. [low Earth orbit](https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit). company Space Forge](https://www.space.com/in-space-manufacturing-carbon-footprint), a set of cubesats from the U.K. [Virgin Orbit'](https://www.space.com/42975-virgin-orbit.html)s first from a location other than the company's U.S. The new mission, called " [Start Me Up](https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-first-uk-launch-january-9)," after a song by legendary British band the Rolling Stones, will see Virgin Orbit's converted Boeing 747-400 airplane [Cosmic Girl](https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-cosmic-girl-plane-arrives-uk) take off from an airport in Newquay, a popular tourist town on the picturesque Atlantic Coast of the Cornwall region in southwest England. For Spaceport Cornwall, which received its spaceport license from the U.K. Then, it will ascend to an altitude of 35,000 feet (10.6 kilometers) above the Atlantic Ocean before releasing the rocket about an hour into the flight. EST (2300 GMT). EST (2201 GMT). [available on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Co18HcyqHk) (opens in new tab). — A giant leap for the U.K.

The historic Virgin Orbit mission will see a repurposed 747 plane carry a rocket to an altitude of 35000 feet, before releasing it over the Atlantic Ocean.

Virgin Orbit said the rocket should be visible for around 60 seconds from Ireland. Launch supervisors are hoping for good weather when the initial launch window opens at 10.16pm. The Department of Transport has warned sailors and fishermen to stay out of a large area of water off the Irish coast for several hours tonight. After that it will continue to travel across the Atlantic and be viewable west of France and Spain. It’s set to lift-off from Cornwall Airport Newquay and will be visible in the sky in parts of western Europe, including Ireland. All eyes will be on Irish skies tonight as a rocket is launched in the UK by Virgin Orbit - a commercial company set up by Richard Branson to carry satellites into space.

The first ever orbital space launch from the UK could take place later today. Virgin Orbit is hoping to launch a rocket carrying a payload of satellites ...

It has also pledged to identify the location for [a kelp forest](https://spaceportcornwall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/spaceport-impact-highlights.pdf) off the Cornish coast which can [sequester carbon](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-are-climate-change-and-biodiversity-loss-linked.html). When ready to launch, the plane will pull up before dropping the rocket, which ignites [four seconds later](https://virginorbit.com/launch/). Seven satellites in total will be launched as part of the inaugural 'Start Me Up' mission from Spaceport Cornwall after Virgin Orbit was LauncherOne's first stage will accelerate the rocket to around 360 metres per second, about the same as a speeding bullet. However, the impacts can be even higher if radiative forcing is considered. This is a significant landmark for the nation, the UK Space Agency and for all those who have worked so hard over many years to make our ambitions to create a commercial space launch capability a reality.' Virgin Orbit plans to use a 747 named Cosmic Girl for its launches. The first satellite operated by the UK, Ariel 1, was launched on a US rocket from [release carbon dioxide](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/quick-questions/where-does-carbon-dioxide-come-from.html), which enters the atmosphere and adds to [global warming](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/quick-questions/is-climate-change-the-same-as-global-warming.html). [carbon neutrality](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/quick-questions/what-do-carbon-neutral-and-net-zero-mean.html) by 2030 through by [purchasing carbon credits](https://spaceportcornwall.com/our-five-main-impacts/) from the planting of UK woodland to offset its emissions. Unlike most sites, Spaceport Cornwall is a horizontal, rather than vertical, rocket launching facility. We are ready.'

Once Cosmic Girl has flown some 35,000ft (10,700 metres) high over the Atlantic, it will release a LauncherOne rocket. Cosmic Girl, a specially adapted 747 ...

We wish everyone the best of luck as the launch window opens, we are ready.” These will be the first satellites launched into space from Europe. “Virgin Orbit, the UK Space Agency and all of our partners are breaking new ground to transform access to space across the world from right here in Cornwall. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit company is behind the launch. “This is a significant landmark for the nation, the UK Space Agency, and for all those who have worked so hard over many years to make our ambitions to create a commercial space launch capability a reality. Ian Annett, deputy CEO at the UK Space Agency, said: “We are entering a new era for space in the UK with the first ever satellite launch from UK soil and from Europe.

This mission won't be deemed a success until the satellites are on their way in about an hour's time. You can watch a live feed from Spaceport Cornwall at the ...

You can watch that by clicking on the link at the top of our page. The LauncherOne rocket will fall away. It's part of the mission is complete. ForgeStar-0 is the first ever Welsh satellite that will test key technologies for an eventual constellation of mini-factories that would fabricate novel materials in space, eg new types of alloy. Dover is a satellite that will test a novel way to provide precise timing information from space. The Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction CubeSat Experiment (CIRCE) is a pair of satellites carrying "space weather" sensors. These are cameras that see the Earth's surface at a multitude of different wavelengths of light. But Cosmic Girl has just returned to Spaceport Cornwall - landing on the runway here. It's a way of detecting illegal fishers and smugglers. “In space, with the absence of gravity, you can mix together any different materials you want,” says Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bacon. So we're just here to support you know, get virgin backup and get another rocket over here." He didn't give any more explanation for the failure.

Update, 7:08 p.m. ET: Virgin Orbit, after initially declaring that its rocket had reached orbit, said the vehicle suffered an anomaly that prevented it from ...

[Australia in 1971](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/science/2019/01/21/news/british-rocket-which-launched-satellite-in-1971-returns-home-1532263/)), it’s a notable moment to see a commercial rocket company deliver assets to orbit from northern Europe. At the end of September, Virgin Orbit disclosed $71 million in cash on its books, and a burn rate of $140 million in the previous nine months. The mission today, however, does help cement links between US and UK military and intelligence organizations, which are eager to enhance their ability to surveil and communicate in space. With nothing on the schedule, it may be a year or more before Virgin Orbit flies spacecraft from the UK again. Virgin Orbit uses a modified 747 airliner to carry a 70-foot-long rocket 40,000 feet into the air over the ocean, where it is released and fired into orbit. The payload includes two UK military satellites, Oman’s first earth observation satellite, a test-bed for in-space manufacturing built by Wales-based Space Forge, and a satellite for Poland’s SatRev.

Cosmic Girl, a former Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747, took off from Spaceport Cornwall with the LauncherOne rocket under its wing. It was carrying a number of ...

It was carrying a number of satellites, including ones made in Britain, into space. "It's been a big deal for Cornwall and a big deal for the airport, so to put us on the world map has been absolutely brilliant It was expected to take around 45 minutes to get into orbit, by which point it would have been on the other side of the world - above Australia. It will take around 45 minutes to get there, by which point it will be on the other side of the world - above Australia. The rocket had been bound for Earth's lower orbit on its mission to deploy nine satellites. "It's a first for Cornwall, and we actually work at the airport, so it's been fantastic for us to see our little airport being shown to the world. It set off from Newquay shortly after 10pm, and reached the drop point for LauncherOne - the rocket it was carrying - at just before 11.15pm. Had it been successful, the satellites on board LauncherOne would have been the first ever carried into space from western Europe. "It would be a bit of a hollow victory if it's reached orbit, the first UK rocket launch to reach orbit, but the satellites haven't actually been deployed," he said. A short while later, the second stage ejects the satellites into orbit - and this is the vital moment that the so far undefined "anomaly" is thought to have occurred. So far, the operator has only said there was an "anomaly" that prevented the rocket from reaching orbit. It comes after LauncherOne, the rocket being blasted into space tonight, suffered an "anomaly".

The rocket is set to be launched from a specially adapted 747 jet mid-air at around midnight tonight as part of Virgin Orbit's Start Me Up mission.

"Virgin Orbit will be taking every step possible to monitor the area during the launch attempt. However, there is a low probability for the vehicle to produce dangerous debris if a mishap were to occur," it was added. "Virgin Orbit LLC will be conducting a satellite launch attempt originating from the UK’s Spaceport Cornwall. This will really discommode boats." We’ve previously supported RocketLabs’ Electron rocket launch and we also provided groundstation services for South Korea’s recent Nuri rocket launch for Contec.” “Interestingly, while it will be a first for the British, it will be the third time we’ve provided ground control data for a space launch at the NSC.

Virgin Orbit's modified Boeing 747 jet, dubbed "Cosmic Girl," took off Monday from Newquay in England's Cornwall county in a first launch attempt for the ...

The small satellite launch industry is a burgeoning business around the world, but particularly in the United States. “It appears that LauncherOne has suffered an anomaly which will prevent us from making orbit for this mission,” said Christopher Relf, director of systems engineering and verification for Virgin Orbit, in a Virgin Orbit live stream covering the launch. “We are looking at the information and data that we’ve gotten,” he added. We are evaluating the information.” Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 jet — dubbed “Cosmic Girl” — took off Monday from Newquay in England’s Cornwall county, 245 miles west of London, in a first launch for the country from UK soil. No people, only satellites, were on board the rocket, which initially appeared to launch from the 747 jet without issue.

Virgin Orbit's unusual system sees a plane carry the rocket up to 35,000 feet, before dropping it off to carry its satellites into space. Key Points. UK space ...