If you look closely at the sky, you will be able to see the glow of a rocket on Monday night. Then the space company Virgin Orbit launches a rocket, the LauncherOne, over the Atlantic Ocean. The mission, called ‘Start me up’ after a song by the Rolling Stones, is an absolute novelty: for the first time a satellite will be launched into orbit from Western Europe. Until now, space organizations have used a launch site outside Europe, such as Cape Canaveral in America, Bajkonoer in Kazakhstan or Kourou in French Guiana.
At a quarter past eleven Dutch time, a Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl will take off, with a rocket under the wing. It will fly south from Newquay Airport in southwest England and release LauncherOne over the Atlantic Ocean around midnight, igniting the rocket engines. The LauncherOne is to launch nine satellites into orbit around the Earth.
Erik Laan, expert on space consultant Eye on Orbit, calls the launch “a historic moment”. According to him, Virgin Orbit’s system has several advantages. “It allows you to fly to where you want to sit and precisely determine where a satellite will land. Furthermore, the rocket has less air resistance when it is a few kilometers above the ground.
Issues with finished export satellites
Thanks to a launch in Europe, organizations have no problems exporting their satellites, which normally have to cross a border to a launch pad. “It’s very bureaucratic. You need to provide information about how your satellite works, while sometimes you want to keep it secret, such as when launching a defense satellite. Now take the pitch to the customer.’ Of the nine satellites seven of them are from the UK itself.
However, Laan doesn’t expect we will see a rocket launch from the Netherlands. “I don’t see this Boeing 747 in line with all Transavia holiday flights at Schiphol. You also don’t want to fly over inhabited areas. From England the plane arrives directly over the Atlantic Ocean. If something goes wrong, the rocket will end up in the sea.’
Limited load capacity
The biggest disadvantage of such a launch is the limited carrying capacity. The missile can only carry 500 kilograms of cargo. A larger rocket is not an option, so the aircraft would no longer be able to lift it. For comparison, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has a payload capacity of 22,800 kilograms.
In good weather, the rocket can be seen from the Netherlands. A few minutes after launch, it becomes visible to the southwest, low on the horizon. In addition to clouds, light pollution can hinder visibility, Laan says. “I live in Delft and watch Westland. I won’t see much because of the orange glow from the greenhouses.’ In case of bad weather, interested parties can also use the live broadcast see.
