Virgin Orbit: Historic UK Satellite Launch Fails Due to ‘Anomaly’

An attempt to get into the space launch business on Monday night came up short.

Virgin Orbit attempted to make history with the first-ever launch of satellites from UK soil ended in disappointment on Monday night, as an anomaly prevented the mission from reaching its intended orbit. The “Start Me Up” mission, named after the Rolling Stones’ 1981 track, was set to take off from Cornwall Airport Newquay, also known as Spaceport Cornwall.

We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information.

— Virgin Orbit (@VirginOrbit) January 9, 2023

Virgin Orbit

The mission began with high hopes, as Virgin’s converted Boeing 747 plane “Cosmic Girl” cleared all pre-launch criteria and took off at 10 pm GMT. The target orbit for the mission was approximately 555 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

The launch seemed to be progressing smoothly, as Virgin confirmed the successful separation of LauncherOne from Cosmic Girl and ignition of the first stage rocket engine, NewtonThree. The mission officially reached space at around midnight GMT, two hours after the launch. The upper stage of the rocket was then shut down as planned, ready to reignite the engine and deploy the satellite payload after traveling halfway around the globe.

#LauncherOne is now officially in space! 💫 #StartMeUp

— Virgin Orbit (@VirginOrbit) January 9, 2023

However, while waiting for this stage, Virgin announced on Twitter that the mission had encountered an “anomaly” that prevented it from reaching orbit. Cosmic Girl returned safely to the spaceport, but the satellite payload was not deployed.

 

The failure of the mission is a disappointment for Virgin Orbit and for the United Kingdom, as the launch was set to mark a new era of spaceflight for the country. The mission was also the first commercial launch from Western Europe and the first international launch for Virgin Orbit following a successful U.S. launch in 2021.

According to Virgin, “The missions of these satellites span a wide range of activities aimed at improving life on planet Earth, including reducing the environmental impact of production; preventing illegal trafficking, smuggling, and terrorism; and a host of national security functions.”

Despite the failure of the mission, the attempt to launch from UK soil is a landmark moment for spaceflight in the country. The UK Space Agency is currently constructing more spaceports in Scotland and Wales as part of the National Space Strategy, signaling a growing commitment to space exploration and development.

It’s not a great moment for Virgin either, as the company’s shares dropped as much as 30% in after-hours trading following the rocket’s failure to reach orbit. The company will now need to investigate the anomaly that caused the failure, and determine the steps needed to ensure a successful launch in the future.