Air-Launched Rocket Suffers Anomaly During 2nd Stage Burn, Missing Orbital Delivery
Virgin Orbit's latest launch from Spaceport Cornwall fell a little short of a successful orbital delivery thanks to a 2nd-stage anomaly that sent the payload off its intended trajectory. The launch was much-lauded as proof positive of domestic UK satellite capability, and at the very least successfully completed enough phases of launch to merit some consolation. Virgin's customized 747 launch platform, Cosmic Girl, succeeded in taking off with the company's LauncherOne system, reaching its designated drop point high above.