Launching Satellites From 747 Planes
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Air Launch System
Close to Commercial Launches - Aiming for Summer's End
Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson's second space company, expects to perform its first commercial satellite launch from a modified 747 aircraft by the end of this summer. The company just successfully completed a test on the modified 747 over the Mojave Desert. It dropped a fake rocket from tens of thousands of feet. The 747 is named Cosmic Girl. It carries the company's LaunchOne Rocket under its wing.
Cosmic Girl's Differentiator
There are a lot of key players in the commercial space launch industry including Elon Musk's Space X and Rocket Lab. What differentiates Virgin Orbit is that it is an air launch, not a ground based, launch system like Space X and Rocket Lab.
Air Born Rocket Launches
Virgin Orbit fires off a rocket from the 747 to launch satellites, which the company says gives it more flexibility. Virgin Orbit is a spinoff of Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company. Virgin Orbit has a dozen launches lined up to begin after it finalizes testing. The company's goal is to be able to launch rockets from its 747's every 4 to 6 hours. For a free Kindle borrow or sample read of my latest book "Big Space News 2019", go to amazon.com/author/ekane ASIN: B07TYG31KM
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| Source: Virgin Orbit's 747 with rocket under its wing |
Close to Commercial Launches - Aiming for Summer's End
Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson's second space company, expects to perform its first commercial satellite launch from a modified 747 aircraft by the end of this summer. The company just successfully completed a test on the modified 747 over the Mojave Desert. It dropped a fake rocket from tens of thousands of feet. The 747 is named Cosmic Girl. It carries the company's LaunchOne Rocket under its wing.
Cosmic Girl's Differentiator
There are a lot of key players in the commercial space launch industry including Elon Musk's Space X and Rocket Lab. What differentiates Virgin Orbit is that it is an air launch, not a ground based, launch system like Space X and Rocket Lab.
Air Born Rocket Launches
Virgin Orbit fires off a rocket from the 747 to launch satellites, which the company says gives it more flexibility. Virgin Orbit is a spinoff of Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company. Virgin Orbit has a dozen launches lined up to begin after it finalizes testing. The company's goal is to be able to launch rockets from its 747's every 4 to 6 hours. For a free Kindle borrow or sample read of my latest book "Big Space News 2019", go to amazon.com/author/ekane ASIN: B07TYG31KM
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