Virgin Orbit launches satellites into space for the first time

Virgin Orbit – the sister company of billionaire Richard Branson’s space tourism equipment Virgin Galactic – will try a second test of its small satellite launch missile later today, months after it failed to reach orbit during a first attempt. It will also be the first time the company is trying to send working satellites into space on behalf of NASA.

Sometime after 1 p.m. ET, Virgin Orbit’s custom Boeing 747 will take off from Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in the Mojave Desert and ascend to 35,000 feet with the satellite launching rocket at its wing. Once it reaches a predetermined location, the rocket is supposed to fall and ignite and take the small satellites on board in orbit around the earth. Virgin Orbit says the launch window will last until 5pm ET.

Virgin Orbit tweeted Sunday morning it plans to take off at 10:30 PT (13:30 ET).

There is no direct stream of the test, although the company plans to do so tweet updates throughout the flight. This will make photos and videos available shortly after the test is completed.

Virgin Orbit has spent years developing this missile launcher and has been conducting increasingly complex flight tests since 2018. But the first full test of the company’s rocket launch capability in May last year did not go quite as planned. The plane took off, the rocket fell and the main engine ignited. But a problem in the fuel line for liquid oxygen prevented the rocket from reaching orbit.

Virgin Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit, told a conference earlier this month that the company had conducted “an enormous amount of testing” since May, despite the pandemic.

‘Look [Virgin Orbit] come to the event and dive into the details and drive the maturation of the system, and to do so in a pandemic environment is really great to watch, ”Hart said.

Technical solutions aside, another difference between the previous test and the one is that Virgin Orbit will try for the first time to deliver commercial payloads to a customer: NASA. The space agency has commissioned Virgin Orbit to carry ten different small satellites for different universities. Each will perform a variety of tasks, from clearing spatial debris to inspecting and maintaining other spacecraft to observing weather. A complete list is available on Virgin Orbit’s website.

This mission was supposed to take place in December, but it was delayed because some members of Virgin Orbit’s launch team had to be quarantined. Hart said Virgin Orbit had “made a lot of money to ensure the safety of the team” prior to today’s launch. A big part of it is that people work remotely, but for those who need to be on site, Hart said Virgin Orbit enforces social distancing, allows employees to use PBM, disinfect and install spaces air purifiers. “Every tool you can imagine in the industry has been applied, but we have a team that is eager, focused,” he said.

The launch effort was rescheduled earlier this month, though it has now slipped a few times to today’s window. The company tweeted on Saturday that the hardware is “in good shape” and that the weather looks favorable.

Virgin Orbit’s approach to launching satellites is completely different from SpaceX or the other major launch providers commonly used by NASA and others. However, the company believes it will help the burgeoning small satellite market. By sending the air in from an airplane, Virgin Orbit’s system does not require such a large rocket or as much fuel, which keeps costs low. The company argues that it is a potentially more flexible system, as it theoretically enables satellite launches from anywhere a 747 can take off and land.

(The reasons may be why Virgin Orbit has also signed a contract with the Department of Defense. Virgin Orbit also wants to launch missions to Mars.)

But first, Virgin Orbit must prove that the system works, and that the business can be profitable. Supporters such as Branson and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala, have maintained this so far. The company is now seeking up to $ 200 million in new financing after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on developing the air launch system that will test it again today.

Hart stressed on the call that it was a test flight, and that the company would be “excited to get the data” generated along the way so he can continue to develop and refine the launch system. He also said that the Virgin Orbit team “is aware of the risk that we will reach the final track.”

But Hart said Virgin Orbit “worked vigorously and looked at all the details and made sure we had the best chance of getting a job”, as there are real satellites on board this time. The work included assistance from an investigation team consisting of people from the launch partner NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air Force and industry professionals.

“We really immersed our engineering team with a fresh look to make sure we don’t drink our own bath water,” Hart said.

Update January 17, 11:30 ET: Add updated startup time of 13:30 ET and new tweet from Virgin Orbit