After several delays, Virgin Orbit finally received a CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) license to launch space missions from British soil in December. Scheduled for next Monday, January 9, the mission, if successful, will make history as it will be the first time it has been launched from the United Kingdom..
“Start Me Up” is named after the Rolling Stones’ famous song The mission will launch from the spacecraft Cornwall, scheduled for 22:15 (Lisbon time).. In the statement, Sir Richard Branson’s company says it will have other security dates between mid-January and the end of the month, unless the weather is favourable.
Check out Virgin Orbit’s gallery of images:
The mission will carry seven customer satellites into space, including commercial and government payloads from various countries.
It should be noted that Virgin’s launch system differs from the likes of SpaceX in that it does not use a rocket launched into space. Its LauncherOne system was designed with the help of Boeing Cosmic Girl, which launched from Cornwall. In November 2022, it became the country’s first spaceport to receive the certification. A very recent one Virgin Orbit flights were operated from Mojave Space and AirportCalifornia also launches satellites into space.
Rehearsals and preparations for the launch of the new flight have already been made, with Monday scheduled for the green light and countdown. And it is marked as pioneering on many fronts. The first addition from British soil, it will be the first commercial export addition from Western Europe, and will be Virgin Orbit’s first international launch, the company says. This is the company’s fifth commercial aircraft carrying customer cargo.
