Virgin Orbit UK Launch

[SNOW_JOKE]

Although not officially announced by Virgin Orbit just yet, a NOTAM has been issued for the 9th January at 00:16 UTC for a launch time with the trajectory heading on a southern sun-synchronous orbit. The launch (weather permitting) will be visible across much of the UK although it'll be a mere 'dot' on the southern horizon than anything seen from Cape Canaveral. I saw the 747 at Newquay was doing pre-flight checks overnight with the transponder pinging on FR24 so i'm inclined to think that the first launch-window attempt is imminent.

Start Me Up: How to spot the first rocket launch from UK soil

NEWS.SKY.COM

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LauncherOne will be the first rocket to launch from UK soil when it's carried skyward from Spaceport Cornwall, and will be visible across the country. Not only that, but people in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and...

[Dreckly]

LauncherOne | Start Me Up

SPACELAUNCHNOW.ME

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7 payloads for government and private customers. This mission is the first launch from the United Kingdom.

So far it's a go for launch in three days time. You can follow here.

[Dreckly]

More info

LauncherOne | Start Me Up

NEXTSPACEFLIGHT.COM

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Virgin Orbit will launch a LauncherOne rocket with Start Me Up from Spaceport Cornwall, Newquay Airport in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

 

[alexisj9]

Is anyone going to look if they can see it?

[SNOW_JOKE]

Successful drop but unfortunately the payload didn't make it into orbit due to an anomaly with the second-stage, the last telemetry I grabbed from the V.O. livestream shows the engine gimbaling to it's highest parameters despite the presenter saying that it's simply a 'data-blackout'. I tried spotting it here from South Manchester 1min after FR24 showed Cosmic Girl in it's climb manouver but despite the starry skies overhead the cloud remained persistent to the SW.

 

[jtay]

Bit awkward. 🙄

 

[Weather-history]

I'm confused, if the payload didn't make it into orbit, where did it go? Crashed backed to Earth? 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

2 hours ago, Weather-history said:

I'm confused, if the payload didn't make it into orbit, where did it go? Crashed backed to Earth? 

Apparently they don't know! But it might come back to earth in unpopulated areas ... But if not then surely it has to be orbiting up there somewhere lol

[SNOW_JOKE]

3 hours ago, Weather-history said:

I'm confused, if the payload didn't make it into orbit, where did it go? Crashed backed to Earth? 

After the second-stage failed to ignite it put Launcher One in-to a spin but still carrying it's forward & upward momentum until the energy depletion of the first-stage was overcome by Earth's gravity, it wouldn't be a spectacular "Rapid Unplanned Disassembly" but rather a long series of tumbles into near-zero gravity before the stage dropped back down into the upper atmosphere, and subsequently being destroyed. Where it ended up on the ground is the main question by the press but V.O. are still reviewing the telemetry but if I had to guess i'd say the Ross Sea close to Antarctica (after Launcher One looped around the South Pole) is the likely impact point.

[SNOW_JOKE]

Preliminary reports suggest it was seen burning up close to Lanzarote, not confirmed by V.O. but the media and timing suggests a meteor camera managed to pick-up the debris trail as Launcher One was re-entering the upper atmosphere. Looks like I was a little off by a factor of a few thousand miles 😄