On Sunday, January 17, Virgin Orbit conducted the second launch test of its LauncherOne rocket, which the company will use to put small satellites into orbit in the years to come. The mission (Launch Demo 2) went smoothly and validated the company’s delivery system, which consists of the rocket air fired from a repurposed 747-400 (Cosmic Girl).
This included the successful deployment of 10 CubeStars selected by NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). The event began when Cosmic Girl took off from Mojave Air and Spaceport around 10:50 a.m. PST (1:50 p.m. EST) and flew to a location about 50 miles south of the Channel Islands in the Pacific.
The launch occurred at 11:39 a.m. PST (2:39 p.m. EST) when Cosmic Girl was at an altitude of 10,700 m. A short time later, the upper stage separated and fired its NewtonFour engine to reach target orbit and deploy the payload. Almost all of the 10 CubeSats were designed and built by universities in the USA and used as part of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa 20) mission.
Payloads successfully deployed in our target orbit! We are so proud to say that LauncherOne has now completed its first mission in space and launched 9 CubeSat missions into Low Earth Orbit for our friends @NASA. # LaunchDemo2
– Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) January 17, 2021
At 2:28 pm PST (5:28 AM EST), Virgin Orbit announced its success on its Twitter feed, saying, “Payloads have been successfully deployed in our target orbit! We are so proud to say that LauncherOne has now completed its first mission in space and launched 9 CubeSat missions into Low Earth Orbit for our friends @NASA. # LaunchDemo2. ”
Virgin Orbit issued a press release shortly thereafter, in which CEO Dan Hart praised everyone for making this possible:
“A new gateway to space has just opened! That LauncherOne successfully entered orbit today is testament to the talent, precision, drive and ingenuity of this team. Even in the face of a global pandemic, we have continued to focus on fully demonstrating every element of this revolutionary launch system. That effort paid off today with a beautifully executed mission and we couldn’t be happier. “
The flight was also a historic first, as no other orbital-class air-launched system has successfully made it into space using liquid propellant. This distinguishes the Virgin Orbit system from previous air launch missiles, which were based on solid chemical propellants. In contrast, the engines of the first and upper stages of the LauncherOne (NewtonThree and NewtonFour) are based on a combination of liquid oxygen RP-1 (similar to kerosene) (LOX).
This test was all the more gratifying given that LauncherOne’s maiden flight (which took place on May 25, 2020) didn’t go so well. A few seconds after the missile detonated, the first stage engine shut down prematurely, preventing the missile from reaching orbit. The fault was attributed to a high pressure liquid oxygen fuel line break in the NewtonThree engine after ignition.
With operations well underway for our #LaunchDemo2 mission, it’s an exciting morning here at the Mojave Air and Space Port!
The loading of LOX onto the rocket has begun and we are looking good to reach our target launch time of approximately 10:30 am Pacific. pic.twitter.com/naBppEJRhD
– Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) January 17, 2021
The issue was addressed by reinforcing the defective components before attempting the second time. After validating the launch system, Virgin Orbit has come one step closer to realizing their new launch service. The ability to put small satellites into orbit this way provides a degree of flexibility and responsiveness in a variety of locations that conventional rockets don’t enjoy.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson was also quoted in the corporate statement, saying:
“Virgin Orbit achieved what many believed was impossible. It was so inspiring to watch our specially customized Virgin Atlantic 747, Cosmic Girl, launch the LauncherOne rocket into orbit. This great flight is the culmination of years of hard work and will also unleash a whole new generation of innovators on their way into orbit. I can’t wait to see the incredible missions Dan and the team will embark on to change the world forever. “
Following a successful demonstration, Virgin Orbit will officially transition into commercial launch services. Launches are currently planned for customers ranging from the US Space Force (USSF) and the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) to commercial contractors such as Swarm Technologies.
With this successful demonstration in the books, Virgin Orbit will officially enter commercial service for its next mission. Virgin Orbit has booked subsequent launches from clients ranging from the US Space Force and the UK Royal Air Force to commercial satellite companies such as Swarm Technologies based in California, SITAEL (Space, Science, Industrial & IoT Solutions) and GomSpace in Denmark.
The missiles used to carry out these flights are already being integrated into the company’s production facility in Long Beach. Virgin Orbit also plans to ramp up production to build 24 new missiles per year using a state-of-the-art hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing process. This was made possible by the recent partnership with the German manufacturing giant DMG Mori.
As mentioned earlier, the ten CubeSats were selected by NASA as part of its CSLI program, an initiative NASA launched to attract and retain high school and college students (as well as nonprofits) in the STEM disciplines. Participating institutions included Brigham Young University (PICS), the University of Michigan (MiTEE), and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (CAPE-3).
Further reading: Virgin Orbit
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