Unbelievably, our adapted Virgin Atlantic 747 dropped rocket to fly into orbit at exactly 7:47! Talk about perfect timing: /LJG3dMvv4B “It’s a pinch-yourself moment,” Branson said.
Or off it.Ĭongratulations to our three customers on a perfect start to their missions. Virgin Orbit later declared success, saying the satellites were in the proper orbit.īranson - whose Virgin Galactic company is close to launching paying customers to the edge of space - planted a kiss on the cheek of Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart, once the satellites reached orbit. Here's a glimpse of rocket drop today from the cameras onboard our flying launchpad, Cosmic Girl. The satellites are from the US Defense Department, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Poland’s SatRevolution company, which is working to set up an Earth-observing constellation. Image credit: TwitterĬamera views showed the package of seven small satellites on the end of the second stage, against the curve of the blue Earth. © Provided by FirstpostĬosmic Girl, the modified 747 jet took off from California’s Mojave Desert with a 21-meter rocket beneath its left wing. The drop occurred at an altitude of about 11,000 meters. Once the plane was over the Pacific near the Channel Islands, the LauncherOne rocket peeled away, then fired its engine to head to space. The company’s modified 747 jet dubbed Cosmic Girl jet took off from California’s Mojave Desert, carrying the 21-meter rocket beneath its left wing. Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit delivered satellites from three countries into space Wednesday, its second successful rocket launch from a plane. Virgin Orbit launches seven satellites from three different customers on 747 plane