This weekend Long Beach based Virgin Orbit are planning the first test of their Launcher One rocket from their Cosmic Girl 747 aircraft. The plan is for Cosmic Girl to fly from the Mojave Space Port with the Launcher One rocket strapped under her left wing out over the Pacific Ocean, before releasing Launcher One, when she will ignite her engine in-flight for the fist time. This test is not expected to end in success with Launcher One being unlikely to make it up into space, but marks a key milestone in the story of Virgin Orbit so far.
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| Virgin Atlantic 747 at Gatwick Airport |
Who Are Virgin Orbit
Virgin Orbit are the second company in Richard Branson's space empire, initially being an off shoot of Virgin Galactic before becoming an independent company in March 2017. Virgin Orbit aims to make accessing space more affordable for small satellite operators, by increasing the volume of flights into space as well as also offering more flexible launch schedules and locations to potential customers.
How does using a 747 help with this
By using a 747 as a launch vehicle, it means that a rocket can be launched in anywhere in the world which has a runway capable of handling a 747. This increases flexibility for customers as it means they can launch from a location of their choice, with Cornwall having been confirmed as one of the options, and also can also launch when they are ready.
Furthermore the 747 also removes large chunks of the costs associated with putting satellites into orbit. Firstly the 747 is capable of being reused, which is one of the major costs associated with rocket launch as traditionally, rocket parts have not been reusable meaning a new rocket has to be made for each launch. This is a cost that Space X have also been working to reduce, making rockets that are capable to landing having taken off, meaning not all components have to be replaced after each launch, with Virgin Orbit going down a similar route, albeit using a more traditional launch vehicle. In addition to this the 747 is capable of flying up to 35,000 feet before releasing Launch One. This is advantageous as it means that the rocket has bypassed most of the atmosphere that it is required to fly through before reaching space, meaning less energy is lost due to air resistance, and additionally meaning the rocket is launched at a speed of about 90% of the speed of sound. Crucially this means that the rocket has to carry less fuel in order to reach its orbit, reducing the fuel related costs.
Why is a 747 used in particular
The 747 itself has a specific design feature that actually makes it the perfect aircraft choice for Virgin Orbit's operations. The 747 is designed to be able to carry a spare engine under its left hand wing, which has been used in the past most notably by Qantas in recent years. This mounting point has been used by Virgin Galactic, who have built a custom pylon to attach Launcher One to in order to transport her up to her release point.
As for Cosmic Girl specifically she previously flew for Virgin Atlantic before being repurposed for use by Virgin Orbit and transformed into a rocket transporter, meaning she was only transferred between two of the companies in the larger Virgin group.
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