Sat, Apr 01, 2023
"Cosmic Girl" to Serve as Missile Launcher in Skies Over Ukraine
Special 04.01.23 Parody Edition: Virgin Orbit's mission has changed slightly from its original, pacifistic mission to seed the skies with affordably delivered civilian satellites after a surprising contract was announced.
The 747 used for previous mid-air rocket launches, "Cosmic Girl", has been retained for use by Aerojet Rocketdyne for use as a mobile, long-range, hypersonic missile launcher. The modified 747 was chosen to be a test bed after increasing use of similar Russian and Chinese ordnance spurred the competitive instincts of defense contractors across the country. The contract comes at a good time, with Virgin Orbit antsy about their future prospects following the unsuccessful satellite launch on January 9th, 2023.
"Well, we had the best of intentions, but to be frank, the money's just too good to pass up," said one anonymous Virgin exec.
"I know our founder, Richard Branson, really wanted the company to bring people together and provide cost-effective solutions to operators looking to launch a satellite constellation... but lobbing missiles just pays so much better."
The source tried to make it clear that direct combat usage wasn't yet in the plans for Cosmic Girl, though it was brought up. "Well, some countries from an allied nation actually inquired about using our aircraft as a kind of "missile truck" for long-range, air-launched ICBM's, but their bid simply wasn't as competitive as the one from our new friends at Aerojet Rocketdyne. Maybe once this program is complete we'll revisit the idea."
More News
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Aero Linx: International Association of Professional Gyroplane Training (IAPGT) We are an Association of people who fly, build or regulate Gyroplanes, who have a dream of a single >[...]
NORDO (No Radio) Aircraft that cannot or do not communicate by radio when radio communication is required are referred to as “NORDO.”>[...]
Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) The operation of a UAS beyond the visual capability of the flight crew members (i.e., remote pilot in command [RPIC], the person manipulating th>[...]
Aero Linx: Malibu M-Class Owners and Pilots Association (MMOPA) The Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the interest>[...]