Virgin Orbit Successfully Launched 7 Satellites in Its First Night Mission
The satellites were launched from California's Mojave Air and Space Port using its Boeing 747 carrier aircraft dubbed Cosmic Girl, with a two-stage LauncherOne rocket secured under one of its wings.
Virgin Orbit has launched a rocket carrying seven customer satellites into low-Earth orbit, marking the company's first successful night mission.
The satellites were launched from California's Mojave Air and Space Port using its Boeing 747 carrier aircraft dubbed Cosmic Girl, with a two-stage LauncherOne rocket secured under one of its wings.
As with previous missions, Virgin Orbit launched the satellites into space by having the Boeing 747 carry the LauncherOne rocket to a certain altitude, where the rocket detached from the aircraft.
The Virgin Orbit Straight Up mission is the company's fourth successful flight to date. Virgin Orbit is owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, but it should not be confused with Virgin Galactic, the company's separate commercial spaceflight division.