LauncherOne was a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed and flown by Virgin Orbit that had operational flights from 2021 to 2023, after being in development from 2007 to 2020. It was an air-launched rocket, designed to carry smallsat payloads of up to 300 kg (660 lb) into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO),[3] following air launch from a carrier aircraft at high altitude. The rocket was carried to the upper atmosphere on a modified Boeing 747-400, named Cosmic Girl, and released over ocean. Initial work on the program was done by Virgin Galactic, another Virgin Group subsidiary, before a separate entity — Virgin Orbit — was formed in 2017 to complete development and operate the launch service provider business separately from the passenger-carrying Virgin Galactic business.
The first successful flight was on 17 January 2021, which delivered a payload of 10 CubeSats to low Earth orbit (LEO).[6] Three further launches successfully reached orbit. An initial test flight was unsuccessful on 25 May 2020, when the rocket failed to reach space.[7] The final flight on 9 January 2023 also failed to reach orbit.
LauncherOne was the first all liquid-fuelled air-launched orbital rocket.[8]
From 2007 to 2015, Virgin had intended LauncherOne to be a somewhat smaller vehicle with a 200 kg (440 lb) payload to low Earth orbit. In 2015, Virgin modified the vehicle design to better target their intended market, and increased the vehicle payload capacity to 300 kg (660 lb) launched to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit, suitable for CubeSats and small payloads. Virgin Orbit targeted a launch price around US$12 million for the rocket.[2]
With Virgin Orbit shutting down all operations after bankruptcy in 2023, the vehicle is unlikely to see additional launches.[9]
^Dawkins, David. "Inside Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson's Small Satellite Bid To Match Musk And Bezos In The Billionaire Space Race". Forbes. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
^ abDaniel Oberhaus (17 January 2021). "Virgin Orbit Just Launched a Rocket From a 747". Wired (magazine). Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
^ abcdef"Launcherone Service Guide" (PDF). virginorbit.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
^ abCite error: The named reference specs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"A New Approach to Proven Technology". Virgin Orvit. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
^Cite error: The named reference WaPo-Davenport was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Virgin Orbits air-launched rocket fails on first test flight". Spaceflight Now. 25 May 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
^Thomas Burghardt (17 January 2021). "LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt with NASA CubeSats". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
^Sheetz, Michael (23 May 2023). "Virgin Orbit sells assets in bankruptcy auction to Rocket Lab, Stratolaunch and Vast's Launcher". CNBC. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
LauncherOne was a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed and flown by Virgin Orbit that had operational flights from 2021 to 2023, after being in development...
market the LauncherOne rocket, which had previously been a project under Virgin Galactic. LauncherOne was a two-stage launch vehicle, air-launched from a...
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first stage launch platform (or mothership launch pad) for the air launch stage of the smallsat orbital launch vehicle, the LauncherOne. In 2017, the...
unique orbital and launch-timing requirements. In July 2012, Virgin Orbit announced LauncherOne, an orbital launch vehicle designed to launch "smallsat" primary...
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one, STORK-3, has been launched on the same day by Virgin Orbit using a LauncherOne rocket. STORK-6 launched on 9 January 2023 with the LauncherOne rocket...
"LauncherOne: Virgin Orbit reveals why UK's first rocket launch failed as it plans further attempts". Sky News. 12 January 2023. "UK space launch: Historic...
capable of launching satellites into orbit. United States Virgin Orbit successfully achieved orbit on January 17, 2021, using their LauncherOne vehicle...
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the rocket, HASTE, has been successfully launchedone time. The first flight, known as "It's a Test", launched on 25 May 2017. The mission failed due to...
stage launch platform (or mothership launch pad) for the air launch stage of the satellite orbital launch vehicle, the LauncherOne. LauncherOne attempted...
CubeSats and each had a maximum budget of $5.6 million. Q-PACE launched on a Virgin Orbit LauncherOne as part of the ELaNa 20 mission. LunaH-Map is a 6U CubeSat...
build an orbital space launch system, designated LauncherOne. Four commercial customers have already contracted for launches and two companies are developing...
profile as planned by Virgin Orbit for its LauncherOne operations. While LauncherOne was developed and launch aircraft procured (once White Knight Two,...
to a launch pad. This becomes the support structure for launch. The use of mobile launcher platform is a part of the Integrate-Transfer-Launch (ITL)...
– Retired Atlas II – Retired Atlas III – Retired Conestoga – Retired LauncherOne Minotaur Minotaur I Minotaur IV Minotaur V Minotaur-C New Glenn (Blue...
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Propulsion Conference. doi:10.2514/6.2016-4984. ISBN 978-1-62410-406-0. "LauncherOne Service Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22...
flown. The station was damaged during launch when the micrometeoroid shield tore away from the workshop, taking one of the main solar panel arrays with...
Boeing 747-41R in use by Virgin Orbit as a mothership for the Mark II LauncherOne rocket Stargazer, a modified Lockheed L-1011 TriStar used as a mothership...
the micrometer range" for at least one year. The cubesat is 30x10x10 cm by size and was launched with the LauncherOne rocket by Virgin Orbit from California...
The Launch is a Canadian reality music competition series broadcast by CTV, which premiered on January 10, 2018. Each episode of the series follows five...
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