Photo: Virgin Orbit/Greg Robinson
The commercial race to space just got a little more crowded. Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit, Virgin Galactic’s sister company, has successfully launched a rocket into orbit for the first time.It also managed to successfully deliver payloads for a customer, NASA, dropping off a number of nanosatellites sponsored by the agency.
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High up in Chile’s Atacama Desert, miles away from the dull glow of light pollution, the secluded…Read more
On Sunday, Virgin Orbit carried out its second test flight of its LauncherOne rocket, which is launched into space using an unconventional launch system. Instead of lifting off from a launch pad on the ground, the rocket is carried under the wing of a customized Boeing 747, named “Cosmic Girl,” and released at a predetermined location. Once it’s released, the rocket ignites and powers itself to orbit. That’s exactly what happened on Sunday.