at spaceport cornwall, it was time for the jumbo jet to take off. and there it goes. it s lift off for the plane. but this is just the beginning. the next step is to release the rocket and start a new era for uk space. godspeed, launcher one, godspeed, cosmic girl on this historic both european and uk mission to open space for everyone. 2000 people came to watch, ready to see what they thought would be a moment of history. an hour into the flight, the rocket, called launcher one, fired its engines after it was released from the plane. so far, so good. but then, this. it appears that launcher one has suffered an anomaly, which will prevent us from making orbit for this mission. there was a problem with the rocket, and the mission was over. so this evening we had a first stage burn that took the rocket into space.
Virgin Orbit rocket launch - What is it, where will it launch from and will we be able to see it? chroniclelive.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chroniclelive.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Final preparations were being made on Monday for the first launch of orbital satellites into space from western Europe, when Virgin Orbit's mission will transform the English surfing hot spot of Newquay into the country's first spaceport.