Virgin Orbit has received launch and range licenses from the UK government that will allow it to conduct its first satellite launch from Spaceport Cornwall at Cornwall Newquay Airport in January.
“Virgin Orbit met the licensing requirements having demonstrated to the UK Civil Aviation Authority it has taken all reasonable steps to ensure safety risks arising from launch activities are as low as reasonably practicable. Virgin Orbit also met other appropriate security and environmental aspects required for launch,” the government in a press release. “Virgin Orbit also received its range control licence from the space regulator, which enables the company to issue warning notices to keep people out of hazardous areas and monitor the progress of the rocket.”
Virgin Orbit had originally planned to conduct the launch in late August. However, the licensing process took longer than the company anticipated. The UK government said the licenses had not been delayed.
“The UK Civil Aviation Authority granted the licences within 15 months, well within the expected timescales for these types of licences, putting the UK’s regulatory framework on a competitive footing with other international space regulators,” the UK government said.
Virgin Orbit has also been dealing with some technical challenges related to operating from Cornwall. All previous launches originated from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
Virgin Orbit’s “Start Me Up” mission will use a LauncherOne booster dropped from a modified Boeing 747 over the Atlantic Ocean to launch nine payloads for British, American, Polish and Omani customers.
Virgin Orbit
“Start Me Up” Launch Payloads
| Payload | Company/Agency | Purpose | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMAN | ETCO | Earth observation | Oman |
| CIRCE A, B | DSTL*/NRL# | Ionospheric research | UK/USA |
| DOVER | RHEA Group | Tech demo | UK |
| ForgeStar-0 | Space Forge | Tech demo | UK |
| IOD-3 Amber | Satellite Applications Catapult | Maritime domain awareness | UK |
| Prometheus 2A, 2B | MoD+/NRO^ | Tech demo | UK/USA |
| STORK-6 | SatRevolution | Earth observation | Poland |
# U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
+ U.K. Ministry of Defence
^ National Reconnaissance Office
“Receiving Virgin Orbit’s range and launch licences takes us one step closer to the first satellite launch take-off from UK soil. This is a major milestone for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and represents the successful completion of an enormous effort, which has included the construction of new regulations, new processes and new teams,” said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart.
“With our partners at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, Spaceport Cornwall, UK Space Agency and our payload customers, together we are progressing towards the first launch from Cornwall – keeping a strong focus on a safe and successful mission for all,” Hart added.
The approval came as Richard Branson’s Virgin Group injected millions more into the struggling rocket company for the second time in seven weeks. This week’s $20 infusion come through the sale of a senior secured convertible note to Virgin Investments Ltd.
Virgin Orbit received a $25 million investment from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group on Nov. 4, three days prior to reporting third quarter revenue of $30.9 million and a net loss of $43.6 million. The company’s net loss was $139.5 million for the first nine months of 2022.
The company’s cash and cash equivalents dwindled from $194.2 million at the end of 2021 to $71.2 million at the end of the third quarter on Sept. 30.
Virgin Orbit has struggled to ramp up its launch cadence. The company successfully launched two times in 2021 after LauncherOne failed on its maiden flight in 2020. Virgin Orbit launched only twice this year, well short of the four to six flights it had planned.
