Virgin Orbit will launch satellites from the country for the first time, bringing orbital flight capability to Europe.
With its horizontal launch technique, Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne is different from more traditional rockets, which tend to launch vertically from the ground. Having been lofted up to an altitude of 35,000 feet, the rocket will complete its launch from the thinner upper atmosphere and have an easier journey to space. Virgin Orbit has already carried out four successful launches from the Mojave Desert in California, but has touted its ability to conduct launches from any location on Earth.
This launch will take place late at night, after commercial flights have ended at the airport, with many visitors expected to come and witness the historic moment as the plane takes off. “We’re still working on those numbers,” says Thorpe.will then fly out over the Atlantic Ocean, hundreds of miles off the Irish coast and out of sight from observers back on land, then enter an oval flight pattern from which the rocket will then be dropped at high altitude one hour into the flight.
The rocket’s engines, fueled by kerosene and liquid oxygen, will then fire, accelerating it to a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour and shooting it into orbit in 10 minutes, about 500 kilometers above our planet. Once there, it will deploy its satellites before falling back to Earth and mostly burning up in the atmosphere.LauncherOne will be assembled in Long Beach before being shipped over.The UK makes for a nifty location to launch from.
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