LauncherOne ignites on its way to space. (Credit: Virgin Orbit)
by Douglas Messier Managing Editor
LONG BEACH, Calif. — With three successful launches under its belt, Virgin Orbit is planning two flights this summer to demonstrate its agile air-launched booster system, including the first-ever satellite launch from the United Kingdom, a company executive said this week.
Agreement Signed to Procure, License and Operate a Fleet of Specially-Modified Zero-Gravity Flight Aircraft, as well as Providing Air-Launch Services for the Space and Defense Industries.
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 3rd, 2022 (0-G Launch) — 0-G Launch, a Washington DC-based provider of the Space Jet™ aircraft for microgravity services and horizontal rocket air-launch, and Global Aviation Ventures (GAV), a firm with extensive expertise in the growth, development, funding and exit of startups in the aviation, aerospace and defense sectors, announce the signature of their agreement to join forces on deploying a global fleet of specialized aircraft to provide much-needed services to the fast-growing Space economy, which is slated to grow into a $1 trillion industry within the next decade.
Flight signals revival of giant airplane, which will focus on launching hypersonic test vehicles.
by Douglas Messier Managing Editor
For the first time in 2 years 16 days, Stratolaunch’s massive Roc aircraft roared down the runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California and soared into in clear blue sky on only its second ever flight test.
Roc took off at 7:31 a.m. PDT time, trailing a giant cloud of dust stirred up by its six jet engines and giant 385-ft long wings that hung out over the desert scrub brush. The aircraft flew over the Mojave Desert for more than three hours as a crowd that had gathered for takeoff watched.
LauncherOne operated in powered flight for only seconds before an anomaly shut it down after being dropped from the Cosmic Girl Boeing 747. (Credit; Virgin Orbit)
by Douglas Messier Managing Editor
MOJAVE, Calif. — Virgin Orbit has set a window for its Launch Demo 2 mission. The primary date is Saturday, Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST. There is a similar backup launch window on Dec. 20.
If Stratolaunch only had a rocket worthy of the ginormous carrier aircraft they built. No offense to Orbital ATK and the Pegasus XL, but that’s not what this thing was built for. Maybe they will develop one eventually.
Sagittarius Launch System (Credit: Celestia Aerospace)
BARCELONA, Spain (Celestia Aerospace PR) — Celestia Aerospace, a pioneering turnkey orbit solutions aerospace company, is proud to announce that Robert Lainé PhD, former head of the Ariane European launcher program, joins the company’s team.
Orbital Access DC-10 air launch system. (Credit: Orbital Access)
A space plane design and operating startup has set up operations at Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland.
Orbital Access Ltd has been established by Stuart McIntyre, grandson of David McIntyre, the founder of Scottish Aviation, and is backed by Scottish Enterprise….
Mr McIntyre said: “While a spaceport in the UK is a key piece of required infrastructure it will be of marginal value if we do not also have the industrial and technical launch systems in the UK capable of exploiting it.”
“The industrial, economic and employment dividend from the spaceport cannot be realised if all we do is host occasional US designed, built and operated systems. We have an aerospace and space industry with an enormous legacy of capability.”