Sirisha Bandla, Virgin Orbit: no payloads on the first LauncherOne mission, but second one will be for NASA [Venture Class Launch Services, presumably]. #DPSS18
With a simple and cheap rocket, Virgin Orbit aims for the extraordinaryWith a first flight months away, we take a long look at the launch company.by Eric Berger - Jun 4, 2018 11:30pm UTC
Wow, that that thing is a lot larger than I imagined.
Very nice looking LV!https://twitter.com/Virgin_Orbit/status/1004127337019871237It’s a LauncherOne on the move! Belated apologies to any Long Beach motorists, but this Very Important Rocket has places to be. We’ve still got some milestones ahead, but every day we get closer to flight. And Michael is working an article of this next milestone - and I'll set up a standalone section (as I hinted about a while back) for Virgin. We're at that point now
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 06/05/2018 10:41 pmVery nice looking LV!https://twitter.com/Virgin_Orbit/status/1004127337019871237It’s a LauncherOne on the move! Belated apologies to any Long Beach motorists, but this Very Important Rocket has places to be. We’ve still got some milestones ahead, but every day we get closer to flight. And Michael is working an article of this next milestone - and I'll set up a standalone section (as I hinted about a while back) for Virgin. We're at that point now Where were they moving it from/to?
Quote from: Yeknom-Ecaps on 06/09/2018 02:22 amWhere were they moving it from/to?They are moving Cosmic Girl and the rocket from Long Beach to the Mohave Desert for captive carry testing.
Where were they moving it from/to?
Stephen Eisele, Virgin Orbit: our next major milestone is a captive carry flight, in just over a week. Next after that will be orbital flight test, which will be as soon as possible after we analyze data from captive carry. #newspace2018
Eisele: hope to do first launch by the end of the summer, but depends on outcome of captive carry test. #NewSpace2018
Eisele: will deploy test rocket (without ignition) at end of captive carry flight. Only plan for a single captive carry test, but may do more if needed. #NewSpace2018
If the rocket free falls all the way back to Earth, won't it make a pretty ugly mess when it gets there?
Quote from: cd-slam on 06/29/2018 11:17 pmIf the rocket free falls all the way back to Earth, won't it make a pretty ugly mess when it gets there?Dropping an unfueled rocket in the desert won't make that much of a mess.
QuoteVirgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoOur #LauncherOne structures team met their 2016 goal of building tanks, interstages, and aft skirts for 4 launch vehicles. Well done, teamVirgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoAnd our #LauncherOne liquid propulsion team is really rocking now. Completed multiple long-duration, high thrust firings of our enginesVirgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoWe're running full, operational tests of our #LauncherOne boost & upper stage Newton rocket engines. Thanks to @barbernichols for pump work.Virgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoLots more great progress on #LauncherOne happening behind the scenes, too. We are looking forward to a very productive 2017!
Virgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoOur #LauncherOne structures team met their 2016 goal of building tanks, interstages, and aft skirts for 4 launch vehicles. Well done, teamVirgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoAnd our #LauncherOne liquid propulsion team is really rocking now. Completed multiple long-duration, high thrust firings of our enginesVirgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoWe're running full, operational tests of our #LauncherOne boost & upper stage Newton rocket engines. Thanks to @barbernichols for pump work.Virgin Galactic @virgingalactic 1h1 hour agoLots more great progress on #LauncherOne happening behind the scenes, too. We are looking forward to a very productive 2017!
In the next few days, we’ll start the process of attaching our launch pylon (the “hooks” that secure the rocket to the plane) to #CosmicGirl. Soon after, we’ll conduct our first test flights w/ the pylon before moving on to a series of captive carry flights w/ #LauncherOne.
According to Scaled Composites, the concept for the program originated in April 1996, preliminary development began in 1999, and full development began in April 2001.
John Fuller, Virgin Orbit: will be integrating LauncherOne pylon with 747 aircraft “shortly”, with captive carry flight campaign to start soon thereafter. #AIAAPropEnergy