Launch Demo 2 (VCLS ELaNa XX)

Overview

Destination: Polar Orbit
Mission: Dedicated Rideshare

Polar Orbit Mojave Air and Space Port Air launch to orbit

This is Virgin Orbit's second attempt to launch the LauncherOne rocket. It also carries cubesats which were contracted by NASA through Venture Class Launch Services contract.

Updates


SwGustav • Jan. 17, 2021, 6:19 p.m.

Adjusting T-0


SwGustav • Jan. 17, 2021, 4:23 p.m.

Updating T-0


spacevogel • Jan. 17, 2021, 3:19 p.m.

Correcting launch window.


SwGustav • Jan. 17, 2021, 2:55 p.m.

Still no official updates today, setting TBC


LauncherOne

Family:
Configuration: One

LauncherOne is a two stage orbital launch vehicle developed by Virgin Orbit since 2007. It is an air launch to orbit rocket, designed to launch "smallsat" payloads of 300 kilograms (660 lb) into a Sun-synchronous orbit, following air launch from a carrier aircraft at high altitude.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    16.0 m
  • Diameter
    1.6 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    1.3 m
  • Launch Mass
    30.0 T
  • Thrust
    327.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    LauncherOne
  • Family
  • Variant
    One
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    LauncherOne
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $12000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    500.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    300.0 kg

Virgin Orbit

Virgin Orbit

(VO)

President: Dan Hart Founded: 2017 Successes: 4 Failures: 2 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

Virgin Orbit is a company within the Virgin Group which plans to provide launch services for small satellites. The company was formed in 2017 to develop the air-launched LauncherOne rocket, launched from Cosmic Girl, which had previously been a project of Virgin Galactic. Based in Long Beach, California, Virgin Orbit has more than 300 employees led by president Dan Hart, a former vice president of government satellite systems at Boeing. Virgin Orbit focuses on small satellite launch, which is one of three capabilities being focused on by Virgin Galactic. These capabilities are: human spaceflight operations, small satellite launch, and advanced aerospace design, manufacturing, and test

INFO WIKI

Related News

Arstechnica

Virgin Orbit just earned the orbit part of its name

"This magnificent flight is the culmination of many years of hard work."

SpaceNews

Virgin Orbit reaches orbit on second LauncherOne mission

Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket reached orbit on its second flight Jan. 17, demonstrating the performance of the air-launch system.

NASA Spaceflight

LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt with NASA CubeSats

After an eight month stand down to resolve issues revealed during the first mission of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket, the company made their second orbital launch attempt on Sunday, January 17. The air-launched rocket carried ten CubeS…

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Virgin Orbit planning second LauncherOne mission for December

Virgin Orbit is preparing to perform a second flight of its LauncherOne small launch vehicle in the second half of December, carrying a set of NASA-sponsored cubesats.

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