LauncherOne - Virgin Galactic's satellite launching rocket

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Virgin Orbit - First Taxi Tests

Virgin Orbit

Опубликовано: 13 нояб. 2018 г.

Zoom, zoom, zoom, #LauncherOne was on the move again — this time for our very first high-speed taxi test. With chief pilot Kelly Latimer at the helm, Cosmic Girl cruised down the runway at Victorville Airport this weekend with a rocket under her wing. Not only did we ramp all the way up to more than 110 knots (that'll blow your hair back!), we also used the day as an opportunity to load real flight software onto #LauncherOne for the first time.

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Virgin Orbit - First Captive Carry Flight

Virgin Orbit

Опубликовано: 19 нояб. 2018 г.

On November 18th, 2018, a new sight appeared in the baby-blue skies over Southern California: A specially modified 747-400 carrying a 70-foot-long rocket under its wing soared through the air as part of a successful test flight for Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne. Sir Richard Branson's small satellite launch company completed a flawless test flight, proving that its carbon-fiber two-stage rocket works perfectly as a pair with Cosmic Girl, the customized former passenger aircraft that serves as the company's "flying launch pad." The successful test puts more air under the wings—and fins—of the company's plans to reach orbit in early 2019.

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 3 ч. назад

Just 2 weeks after #LauncherOne left the ground for the 1st time, we were back in the air again yesterday—this time higher, better, faster (and cooler). Overall, our pilots and engineers agreed the 2nd leg of our captive carry campaign was a major success. On to the next one.

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Venture Class Rockets: First Class Flights for CubeSats

NASAKennedy

Опубликовано: 3 дек. 2018 г.

For years, tiny CubeSat satellites could only fly into space as hitchhikers, riding along with larger, primary payloads. Now, thanks to Venture Class Launch Services, these small packages of big science are getting their own rides into space on dedicated rockets -- and on their own terms. Rocket Lab USA of Huntington Beach, California, and Virgin Orbit of Long Beach, California, are the two companies poised to propel CubeSats from coach class to first class.

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 15:05 - 10 дек. 2018 г.

#LauncherOne was airborne again on Saturday — this time for a demo of our launch release maneuver. This is a tightly choreographed dance in the cockpit, where our pilots pull Cosmic Girl into a steep climb, giving our rocket just the right angle for an efficient path to space.

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Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 9:32 - 15 дек. 2018 г.

Some recent news: Rocket Lab's Electron & Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne are now listed as vehicles available for NASA's new small and medium-class Explorer missions of opportunity. That gives those missions, ranging from CubeSats up to microsatellites, a new dedicated launch option.

Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 9:27 - 15 дек. 2018 г.

NASA is gearing up its first Electron launch with Rocket Lab this weekend, as the US space agency has recently added the Electron & Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne vehicles to a catalog of rockets available for future NASA CubeSat and smallsat missions. Story: https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/12/rocket-lab-preps-to-launch-flock-of-nasa-funded-cubesats/ ...

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https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-launches-cubesats-for-nasa/

December 16, 2018

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NASA also awarded Venture Class Launch Services contracts in 2015 to Firefly Space Systems and Virgin Galactic. ...

Virgin Orbit, the company spun off from Virgin Galactic to develop and operate the LauncherOne air-launch system, is nearing its first launch. The NASA contract will be flown on the second LauncherOne flight, on a mission called ELaNa-20 scheduled no earlier than March 2019. That mission will carry 11 cubesats for universities and NASA's Ames Research Center.
...

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Virgin Orbit - 2018 Highlights

Virgin Orbit

Опубликовано: 21 дек. 2018 г.

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 3 ч. назад

Just completed the last hotfire of the NewtonThree engine we'll use to fly to space next year! Demonstrating full thrust, gimbal and throttle range of this piece of flight hardware is the perfect way to close a year of incredible progress for our team. Here's raw footage:

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LauncherOne Hotfire — Final Acceptance Test for NewtonThree

Virgin Orbit

Опубликовано: 26 дек. 2018 г.

We just completed the last hotfire of the NewtonThree rocket engine we'll use for our first orbital test flight (yep, this one's going to space!). This hotfire, filmed on December 19, 2018, demonstrated the full thrust, full gimbal range, and full throttling range of this piece of flight hardware in a smooth and stable burn — the perfect way to close out an incredible year of progress for our team.

Just two engines power our LauncherOne rocket: The NewtonThree on the main stage, and the NewtonFour on the upper stage. Have you seen our NewtonThree full duration hotfire test? If not, check it out here:

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 11:40 PDT - 18 мар. 2019 г.

LauncherOne's first stage lit up our Mojave test site on Friday for the first hot-fire in our final series of full-scale, integrated system tests.

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Virgin Orbit ретвитнул(а)
VOX Space‏ @TheRealVOXSpace 11 мин. назад

We're proud that #LauncherOne has qualified as a contender in the @DARPA Launch Challenge. Responsive launch capabilities are key to advancing our nation's space architecture. We love how systems like ours (and our customers!) are shifting the US government's approach to launch.

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http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/4/10/news-from-space-symposium-darpa-launch-challenge-moves-ahead-with-3-competitors

NEWS FROM SPACE SYMPOSIUM: DARPA Launch Challenge Moves Ahead With Three Competitors

4/10/2019 
By Stew Magnuson


Vector Launch

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency chose three competitors for a challenge prize that will ask small launch providers to send payloads to orbit and rapidly turn around and repeat the feat.

Virgin Orbit's subsidiary VOX Space, Vector Launch and a third entrant that is choosing to remain anonymous for the time being are vying for more than $27 million in prize money, DARPA's Program Manager for the Launch Challenge Todd Master said during a briefing at the Space Symposium April 10.

Competitors will have 30 days to prepare for a launch from a site they may not be familiar with and integrate a payload with which they are also unfamiliar. They will then be asked to repeat the process from a second site within two weeks.

Each of the three contestants received $400,000 for making it into the final competition. Making it to the final three required the teams to obtain a Federal Aviation Administration launch license, which is a stringent process. The $400,000 is meant to offset the cost needed to obtain the FAA license, Master said.

None of the three teams have ever reached orbit. VOX Space will take off from a runway and employ Virgin Orbit's plane-launched system. The other two will use "horizontal" launch systems, Master said.

The teams will receive $2 million for the first successful launch. The first prize for those who can complete the second launch is $10 million, second place $9 million and third is $8 million.

DARPA is interested in demonstrating flexible launch systems and incentivizing industry, Master said.

"When we say 'flexible' we really mean the ability to launch from anywhere. When we say 'responsive' we mean the ability to launch on short notice," he said.

The teams have until January and February 2020 to prepare, after which they will be notified which FAA-certified launch facility they will be working from, Master said. The idea behind that and changing sites for the second launch is so no team has a "home field advantage," he added.

An industry day in May 2018 attracted 55 potential entrants. DARPA chose 30 entrants for the next phase, and eventually winnowed that down to 18. At that point, the entrants had to supply a lot more documentation and prove they had worked on hardware and software and had taken into account safety issues that would concern the FAA, Master said.

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https://virginorbit.com/virgin-orbit-adds-guam-as-low-inclination-launch-site-for-launcherone-smallsat-launch-service/

VIRGIN ORBIT ADDS GUAM AS LOW INCLINATION LAUNCH SITE FOR LAUNCHERONE SMALLSAT LAUNCH SERVICE

APRIL 10, 2019

FEATURED/PRESS RELEASES

Long Beach, California — 10 April 2019 — Virgin Orbit, Sir Richard Branson's small satellite launch company, announced today that the Pacific island of Guam will become an additional launch site for the company's LauncherOne service. With its remote location and close proximity to the equator, Guam serves as an excellent base of operations fr om which the company's unique, 747-launched rocket can efficiently serve all inclinations, a boon to the rapidly expanding small satellite market. Most excitingly, the new location enables LauncherOne to deliver more than 450 kg to a 500 km equatorial orbit.

The addition of Guam to that list enhances the flexibility of Virgin Orbit's launch operations, adding a low-latitude site with clear launch trajectories in almost all directions, giving Virgin Orbit's customers unparalleled control over wh ere and when their small spacecraft are deployed.

Officials at US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) have issued a letter of support for Andersen Air Force Base to host launches and other exercises with LauncherOne and its dedicated carrier aircraft—a critical step en route to a first launch from the island, which could occur in as little as a year's time. Additionally, the largest commercial airport on the island, A.B. Won Pat International Airport, has begun the process of seeking its launch site operator's license from the Federal Aviation Authority's (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation, in order to serve as a future launch site for Virgin Orbit.

"Launching from Guam gives us easy access to every orbital inclination our customers need. With our air-launched system, we will fly out as any other airplane, move out to sea and release our rocket. Our minimal footprint coupled with Guam's natural launch location results in a great match. With the continued support from Governor Leon Guerrero and our partners in the DOD, we are well on our way towards providing new launch opportunities for small satellites that have waited too long for their ride to space, and we're thankful to the local government in Guam for their enthusiasm and support," said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart.

"This is a rare opportunity for our island to be front and center of a groundbreaking space industry," said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. "Guam has always been a rare gem known for great weather, a beautiful landscape and warm people, and now we can add space transportation to that list."

Lieutenant Governor Joshua Tenorio adds, "We are keen to partner with Virgin Orbit to generate a new space industry in Guam and advance our local economy, as well as spur new STEM education opportunities for our youth to take us into the future."

In addition to the launch site's primary appeal to commercial missions, VOX Space also anticipates using Guam and other launch sites to provide responsive launch capability to the national security space community. As part of a series of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with the Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Superiority Directorate located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, CA, among others, VOX Space is developing concepts for how commercially developed space capabilities can partner with and complement the U.S. Department of Defense's existing mobility, transportation, and space launch systems

Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne system is now in the final phases of testing, after successfully demonstrating all major assemblies with multiple flight vehicles in production. Having just completed its fourth captive carry flight with a test rocket mated to the wing, Virgin Orbit is on track to conduct its first orbital test flight later this year.

By using a customized 747-400 aircraft as its "flying launch pad," Virgin Orbit gains the ability to quickly transport the entire launch site to new locations around the world, launching each satellite from the optimal location. This mobile approach to launch substantially reduces the expense required for infrastructure at each launch site. In addition to the Mojave Air and Space Port—the California launch site that will be home to the company's first orbital launch in the middle of this year, as well as subsequent launches to high inclination orbits—other spaceports both new and established have announced that they are working to prepare themselves for future missions of LauncherOne, including the Launch and Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Spaceport Cornwall in the United Kingdom, the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport in Italy, and others.

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EXOLAUNCH‏ @EXOLAUNCH 1 ч. назад

Thrilled to announce that we have signed an MoU with @Virgin_Orbit Via 'LauncherOne', we can let more of our customers access space simply, with advanced technical know-how. We welcome this partnership and can't wait for our first mission. The sky is no longer the limit!

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 9 мин. назад

Another successful captive carry test flight in the books, our first from beautiful @MojaveAirport.





9 мин. назад

This flight is a prequel to our own #endgame — closing out our final stage hotfires and the last few flights in our captive carry test campaign, now with a fully loaded rocket underwing. After that, a drop test, and then it's show time for our first flight to orbit!

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 7 мин. назад

During a recent integration exercise, we verified that in addition to our already vetted order of operations, we are *also* able to mate the payload fairing to LauncherOne while the rocket is attached to Cosmic Girl's wing. So why is this important?





7 мин. назад

Well, we've now demonstrated that we can have LauncherOne mated and ready to go even if we need access to the satellite until shortly before launch. Proving out this additional baseline of operations grants us greater flexibility and responsiveness to meet our customers' needs.


6 мин. назад

Check out our website to learn more about the payload integration process and follow a satellite from its arrival in Long Beach to launch: https://virginorbit.com/launch/ 

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On board Virgin Orbit's flying launchpad

Verge Science

Опубликовано: 30 апр. 2019 г.

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit is taking an unusual approach to putting satellites in space: the company wants to launch them in midair off the wing of a Boeing 747. We toured the prototype jet that'll send the first satellites into space, and asked Virgin Orbit's pilot what it's like to fly a jumbo jet with a rocket strapped to it.

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Virgin Orbit‏Подлинная учетная запись @Virgin_Orbit 8 мин. назад

We've now kicked off the final phase of our test flight campaign, completing our 1st taxis with a heavy LauncherOne! As this test series progresses, we'll take to the skies again, flying higher & faster, before the drop test grand finale.






8 мин.назад

These taxi tests went really, really well. At 40, 70, and even 100 knots with a rejected takeoff, slosh and loads data were well within limits, and our chief test pilot reported Cosmic Girl handled like a dream. Onward and upward!

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https://virginorbit.com/main-stage-hotfire-our-biggest-test-yet/

MAIN STAGE HOTFIRE: OUR BIGGEST TEST YET

MAY 21, 2019

In the rocket business, every test is an important opportunity to learn — but certain tests stand out. We're proud to announce that we completed perhaps the most challenging, most important, and most successful test in the history of our LauncherOne program: Last week, we lit up our Mojave site with our final full duration, full scale, full thrust – hell, full everything – test firing of LauncherOne's main stage. That's more than three minutes of controlled rocket thrust, using all of the same equipment we'll use on our actual flights to orbit later this year.

Here's one fun way to think about it: the data proved that if this stage wasn't physically bolted down, it had the oomph to make the journey into space.

The sheer complexity of this test means its success was a big deal for all hands involved. Its real significance, though, is that it signals the end of a major part of our program. Simply put, there are no "firsts" remaining for us on the ground. Every single part of the system — whether that's hardware, software, or processes — has now been demonstrated on our test stands.

Now, all that stands between us and our space shot is final assembly of our first orbital rocket and some key testing in the air with Cosmic Girl, building on the great flights we've already completed using a fully integrated-but-empty rocket. We've now loaded that rocket with fluid to simulate its weight when fully fueled — so stay tuned for updates as we progress through this final phase of our test flight campaign.

This isn't the end of the road, but we're proud to have completed some of the most difficult steps along the way. With just a handful of critical milestones to go, we're within arm's reach of our first orbital flight test, and we couldn't be more excited.