London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit heads above the clouds for third commercial flight

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit heads above the clouds for third commercial flight

Mission comes days after company celebrated going public on the Nasdaq through a merger with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II

The third commercial flight of Richard Branson's satellite launch provider Virgin Orbit has taken off from Mojave Air and Spaceport in California Thursday.

The mission, branded "Above the Clouds" in homage to a 1998 song by Gang Starr, is carrying satellites for the U.S. Department of Defense's Space Test Program, Poland's SatRevolution and space-to-cloud data analytics company Spire Global.




The Department of Defense is launching four research and development satellites from multiple government agencies that are experiments in space-based communications and in-space navigation, as well as a university payload sponsored by NASA.

The contract, known as STP-27VPB, was awarded to Virgin Orbit subsidiary VOX Space by DoD's Defense Innovation Unit, which works to strengthen national security and accelerate the adoption of commercial technology in the U.S. military.

SatRevolution is launching two nanosatellites, STORK-3 and SteamSat-2. STORK-3 will be part of an Earth-observation constellation taking medium-resolution photos for customers in the agricultural sector, while SteamSat-2 will test water-fueled thrusters developed by U.K.-based company SteamJet Space Systems.

In addition, Spire Global will launch Adler-1, which will study the space debris environment in low Earth orbit.


Virgin Orbit has carried a total of 19 satellites into orbit prior to Thursday's launch.

Virgin Orbit uses a technique called air launch, in which its 70-foot-long, 57,000-pound LauncherOne rocket is released at an altitude of 35,000 feet from under the wing of a modified 747-400 jet, dubbed Cosmic Girl, rather than from a traditional launch pad on the ground.

After a four-second freefall, LauncherOne's first-stage engine ignites, accelerating the rocket to approximately 8,000 miles per hour. From there, the second stage engine kicks in, taking LauncherOne to a maximum speed of 17,500 miles per hour.

In addition to improving the payload capacity of the rocket, the technique allows LauncherOne to fly on short notice from a wide variety of locations. LauncherOne, which costs an average of $12 million per flight, or $40,000 per kilogram, can carry satellite payloads weighing between 300 and 500 kilograms.

Virgin Orbit uses a technique called air launch, in which its 70-foot-long, 57,000-pound LauncherOne rocket is released at an altitude of 35,000 feet from under the wing of a modified 747-400 jet, dubbed Cosmic Girl, rather than from a traditional la


For the Above the Clouds mission, Cosmic Girl will travel approximately one hour out to sea before releasing LauncherOne just off the Pacific coast. The rocket will then blast off to a circular orbit of 500 kilometers at an inclination of 45 degrees, lower than its previous missions.

Above the Clouds comes days after the company celebrated going public on the Nasdaq through a merger with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II. Shares of Virgin Orbit, which started trading on Dec. 30, finished Thursday's trading session down more than 5%.


Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart previously told FOX Business that the company is planning to launch a total of six flights in 2022. The company has signed new agreements for more than 30 launches with customers, including Japan's All Nippon Airways, HyperSat, Horizon Technologies, SatRevolution and Arqit.

ANA Holdings will create a new spaceport in Japan's Oita region by the end of 2022, pending regulatory approval, and has agreed to procure 20 LauncherOne flights. Virgin Orbit has also established agreements to bring LauncherOne to Brazil, Guam and the United Kingdom, where two flights will take off from Spaceport Cornwall in 2022. In addition, Virgin Orbit is in discussions in Australia and half a dozen other countries around the world for future partnerships.

In an investor presentation in October, Virgin Orbit estimated it will bring in $70 million in revenue by the end of 2022, with more than 50% expected to come from active contracts. The company has roughly $300 million in active contracts, $1.3 billion in active proposals and $2.3 billion in other identified opportunities. Virgin Orbit's Long Beach, California, factory plans to produce as many as 20 rockets per year and the company expects to reach profitability in 2024.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×