The impressive photo of the 747 during its post-release nose-up. © Virgin Orbit
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On April 12, the company performed a dress rehearsal of a LauncherOne rocket flight campaign. The last in a series of tests, before proceeding to the first takeoff.
And the method is spectacular …
Rocket ready to drop
It was the last big step before trying to reach orbit, according to Virgin Orbit. The Virgin group spin-off specializing in satellite launches has for years promised the entry into service of its small LauncherOne rocket. With a capacity that exceeds 300 kg in low orbit, it would interest both state customers and operators of small commercial satellites, despite higher costs than competitor Rocket Lab.
The exits of the 747 “Cosmic Girl”, responsible for transporting the rocket to an altitude of 13,000 m (45,000 feet) before the release and ignition of its engine, are particularly monitored.
Last test before space
The company had been preparing the final details for this test for a few days, and on April 12, all the conditions were met. The LauncherOne tanks were filled with liquid nitrogen (for safety the teams did not use kerosene and liquid oxygen) before the 747 could launch from the runway at Mojave airport to a two hour flight. The teams simulated all the stages of the drop, except the last, with for the first time a flight article under the wing.
And here are a few more photos, courtesy of our chase plane.
That’s a wrap on today’s rehearsal, the final major test before our upcoming launch demo. We’ll have more updates very soon – thanks for following along today! ???? pic.twitter.com/yl1bviQ9Nj
– Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) April 12, 2020
A success, and magnificent photographs later, the heavy carrier managed to land without incident. The real launch is expected in a few weeks, after an analysis of the sensor readings, and depending on the teams’ availability, confinement linked to the coronavirus requires. The last flight test took place last summer, when “Cosmic Girl” dropped a LauncherOne test article over the desert at White Sands to test the ejection sequence.
COVID versus reality
Virgin Orbit, including the commercial subsidiary VOX Space managed to raise $ 35 million last week for three specific launcherOne launches in service of the Space Force, has not announced a date for its first launch. With ” 90% of its employees »In teleworking, and part of the Long Beach (California) production site which is now used for mass production of emergency respirators, it seems logical that the company does not commit to a firm date. .
But it also hides several years of delay. The first takeoff of LauncherOne was supposed to take place in 2017, then in 2018, then in 2019!
Source: Space News
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