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LauncherOne
LauncherOne diagram
ManufacturerVirgin Orbit
Country of originUnited States
Project costUS$700 million[1]
Cost per launchUS$12 million[2]
Size
HeightApprox. 21.3 m (70 ft)[3]
MassApprox. 30 tons
Stages2[3]
Capacity
Payload to 500 km SSO[3]
Mass300 kg (660 lb)
Payload to 230 km LEO[3]
Mass500 kg (1,100 lb)
Associated rockets
FamilyAir launch to orbit
ComparableElectron, Vector-H, Falcon 1, Pegasus
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sites
Total launches6
Success(es)4
Failure2
First flight25 May 2020
Last flight9 January 2023
First stage
Diameter1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)[4][3]
Powered byNewtonThree (N3)
Maximum thrustVacuum: 326.8 kN (73,500 lbf)
Burn timeApprox. 180 seconds
PropellantRP-1/LOX
Second stage
Diameter1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)[4]
Powered byNewtonFour (N4)
Maximum thrustVacuum: 22.2 kN (5,000 lbf)[5]
Burn timeApprox. 360 seconds
PropellantRP-1/LOX
[edit on Wikidata]

LauncherOne was a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed and flown by Virgin Orbit that had operational flights from 2021 to 2023, after being in development from 2007 to 2020. It was an air-launched rocket, designed to carry smallsat payloads of up to 300 kg (660 lb) into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO),[3] following air launch from a carrier aircraft at high altitude. The rocket was carried to the upper atmosphere on a modified Boeing 747-400, named Cosmic Girl, and released over ocean. Initial work on the program was done by Virgin Galactic, another Virgin Group subsidiary, before a separate entity — Virgin Orbit — was formed in 2017 to complete development and operate the launch service provider business separately from the passenger-carrying Virgin Galactic business.

The first successful flight was on 17 January 2021, which delivered a payload of 10 CubeSats to low Earth orbit (LEO).[6] Three further launches successfully reached orbit. An initial test flight was unsuccessful on 25 May 2020, when the rocket failed to reach space.[7] The final flight on 9 January 2023 also failed to reach orbit.

LauncherOne was the first all liquid-fuelled air-launched orbital rocket.[8]

From 2007 to 2015, Virgin had intended LauncherOne to be a somewhat smaller vehicle with a 200 kg (440 lb) payload to low Earth orbit. In 2015, Virgin modified the vehicle design to better target their intended market, and increased the vehicle payload capacity to 300 kg (660 lb) launched to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit, suitable for CubeSats and small payloads. Virgin Orbit targeted a launch price around US$12 million for the rocket.[2]

With Virgin Orbit shutting down all operations after bankruptcy in 2023, the vehicle is unlikely to see additional launches.[9]

History

[edit]

Virgin Galactic began working on the LauncherOne concept in 2007,[10] and the technical specifications were first described in some detail in late 2009.[11] The LauncherOne configuration was proposed to be an expendable, two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket air-launched from a White Knight Two carrier aircraft.[12] This would make it a similar configuration to that used by Orbital Sciences' Pegasus, or a smaller version of the StratoLaunch air-launched rocket system.

By 2012, several commercial customers had signed early contracts for launches signaling demand-side support for new small commercial-oriented launch vehicles. These included GeoOptics, Skybox Imaging, Spaceflight Services, and Planetary Resources. Both Surrey Satellite Technology and Sierra Nevada Space Systems were at the time reported to be developing satellite buses "optimized to the design of LauncherOne".[13][14] In October 2012, Virgin announced that LauncherOne would be designed so that it could place 200 kg (440 lb) in Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[15] Virgin planned at the time to market the 200 kg (440 lb) payload delivery to Sun-synchronous orbit for under US$10 million per mission,[13] while the maximum payload for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions would be somewhat larger at 500 kg (1,100 lb).[16]

Under plans announced in 2012, the second stage was to be powered by NewtonOne, a 16 kN (3,600 lbf) thrust engine, and the first stage by a scaled-up version called NewtonTwo, with 211 kN (47,000 lbf) of thrust. Design and construction of the first engines was completed by 2014. NewtonOne was tested up to a full-duration burn of five minutes. NewtonTwo made several short-duration firings by early 2014.[16] Ultimately, however, neither NewtonOne nor NewtonTwo would be used on LauncherOne.

In 2015, Virgin Galactic established a 14,000 m2 (150,000 sq ft) research, development, and manufacturing center for LauncherOne at Long Beach Airport, California.[17] The company reported in March 2015, that they were on schedule to begin test flights of LauncherOne with its NewtonThree engine by the end of 2016,[18] but they did not achieve that objective.

On 25 June 2015, the company signed a contract with OneWeb Ltd. for 39 satellite launches for its satellite constellation with an option for an additional 100 launches,[19] but in 2018 OneWeb canceled all but four, prompting a lawsuit from Virgin Orbit.[20] OneWeb filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020.[21]

News reports in September 2015 indicated that the heavier payload of 200 kg (440 lb) was to be achieved by longer fuel tanks and use of the recently qualified NewtonThree engine, but this also meant that the Virgin-developed carrier aircraft White Knight Two would no longer be able to lift the rocket to launch altitude, so in December 2015, Virgin announced a change to the carrier plane for LauncherOne to carry the heavier payload. The carrier aircraft subsequently was changed to a used Boeing 747-400,[22] Cosmic Girl, previously operated by Virgin Galactic's sister company, Virgin Atlantic, and purchased outright by Virgin Group from Boeing upon the expiration of that airframe's lease. The 747 will allow a larger LauncherOne to carry the heavier payloads. The modification work on the company's 747 was expected to be completed in 2016, to be followed by orbital test launches of the rocket in 2017.[23][24][25]

It was further announced in December 2015 that the revised LauncherOne would utilize the larger NewtonThree rocket engine on the booster stage, with the NewtonFour powering the second stage.[23] NewtonThree was to be a 260–335 kN (58,000–75,000 lbf)-thrust engine, and began hot-fire testing by March 2015.[18][26] The NewtonFour engine would power the second stage. NewtonThree generate 326.8 kN (73,500 lbf) of thrust while NewtonFour deliver 26.5 kN (6,000 lbf) to the second stage and is capable of multiple restarts.[27]

On 2 March 2017, Virgin Galactic announced that its 200-member LauncherOne team was being spun off into a new company called Virgin Orbit.[28] A subsidiary company of Virgin Orbit called Vox Space was created to carry out business which require strict security requirements.[29][30] As of 2017, the company planned to fly approximately twice a month by 2020.[31]

In September 2017, the first test flights of LauncherOne were delayed to 2018.[31] By June 2018, the Virgin Orbit captive carry flight testing campaign for LauncherOne, including a planned drop test of an unfueled rocket, was licensed to begin in July 2018, and could run for up to six months.[27]

In the event, no LauncherOne test flights occurred in 2018 and were delayed further, to December 2019, with only the carrier aircraft beginning to fly in 2018. The first three test flights of Cosmic Girl, including the pylon but not the rocket, happened on 23, 25 and 27 August 2018.[32][33] A high-speed taxi test, with a rocket mounted beneath the aircraft, took place in early November 2018.[34] The aircraft flew its first test flight with both pylon and rocket attached on 18 November 2018.[35][36]

Virgin Orbit announced many upgrade and expansion plans that were not finished, such as a 3 stages variant.[37] On 17 March 2022 Polish Space Agency and Virgin Orbit signed an agreement to use LauncherOne as means to send satellites into orbit, with its first launch from Poland planned for 2023.[38]

Its parent, Virgin Orbit, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 4, 2023.[39]

Flights

[edit]
Cosmic Girl carrying LauncherOne during the first successful flight in January 2021.

The maiden flight of LauncherOne took place on 25 May 2020. The flight failed a few seconds after the ignition of the rocket due to a premature shutdown of the first stage engine, caused by a break in a propellant feed line,[40] and the rocket did not reach space. The launch failure was attributed to a failure of a high-pressure liquid oxygen fuel line in the NewtonThree engine. Due to the failure, oxygen was no longer supplied to the engine and the flight was terminated. The issue with the fuel line was addressed by strengthening the broken components.[41][42]

The second launch took place on 17 January 2021, and was the first to successfully reach orbit.[6] The rocket deployed 10 CubeSats for NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites mission (ELaNa 20).[43] Cosmic Girl took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California at 18:38 UTC. The aircraft launched the LauncherOne rocket at 19:39 UTC.[8] The launch occurred at the altitude of 10,700 m (35,100 ft).[44] On 17 January 2021, both NewtonThree and NewtonFour performed as expected.[43] During launch, NewtonFour fired twice; once to inject the second stage and the payloads into a transfer orbit, and again to circularize the orbit.[43][45]

On 9 January 2023, the first UK launch and final launch for the rocket took place, but it was unsuccessful.[46] A filter within the second stage fuel feedline dislodged resulting in fuel pump inefficiency and lower flow of fuel to the NetwonFour engine. The reduced fuel flow caused the engine to operate at temperatures higher than expected resulting in damage to nearby components and subsequent early shutdown. Vehicle did not have enough velocity to make orbit.[47][48]

Design

[edit]

LauncherOne is a two-stage air-launched vehicle. The rocket had a diameter of 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) for the first stage and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) for the second stage and payload fairing.[4]

On the 24th of October 2019, the company announced plans to develop a three-stage variant that would be capable of launching 100 kg (220 lb) to the Moon, 70 kg (150 lb) to Venus, or 50 kg (110 lb) to Mars.[37]

Engines

[edit]

LauncherOne is a two-stage air-launched vehicle using Newton engines, RP-1/LOX liquid rocket engines. The second stage was to be powered by NewtonOne, a 211 kN (47,000 lbf) thrust engine. It was originally intended that the first stage will be powered by a scaled-up design of the same basic technology as NewtonOne, called NewtonTwo, with 211.5 kN (47,500 lbf) of thrust. Both engines had been designed, and as of January 2014 first articles were built. NewtonOne was tested up to a full-duration burn of five minutes. NewtonTwo made several short-duration firings by early 2014.[16]

NewtonThree is a 260–335 kN (58,000–75,000 lbf)-thrust engine, and began hot-fire tests as of March 2015. NewtonThree powered the first stage of LauncherOne.[18][49]

2015 redesign: new engines, larger payloads, new carrier aircraft

[edit]
LauncherOne will be launched from this former Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747, named Cosmic Girl.

News reports in September 2015 indicated that the higher payload is to be achieved by longer fuel tanks and the NewtonThree engine but this will mean that White Knight Two would no longer be able to lift it to launch altitude. The rocket was to be carried to launch altitude by a Boeing 747.[50][51] The revised LauncherOne utilizes both the Newton 3 and Newton 4 rocket engines.[23]

In December 2015, Virgin announced a change to the carrier plane for LauncherOne, as well as a substantially-larger design point for the rocket itself. The carrier aircraft will now be a Boeing 747, which will in turn allow a larger LauncherOne to carry heavier payloads than previously planned. The modification work on the particular Boeing 747 that Virgin has purchased is expected to be completed in 2016, to be followed by Orbital test launches of the rocket in 2017.[23]

Intended usage

[edit]

LauncherOne is designed to launch a 300 kg (660 lb) payload to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), suitable for CubeSats and small payloads.[52][53] Virgin Orbit has also announced the ability of LauncherOne to send payloads into heliocentric orbit for flybys of Mars, Venus or asteroids.[54]

Launch sites

[edit]
Mojave Air and Space Port

Virgin Orbit integrated payloads at their headquarters in Long Beach, California.[3]

LauncherOne launched from the Cosmic Girl Boeing 747-400 carrier, attached to a pylon on the aircraft's left wing, and released over the ocean at a location depending on the desired orbital inclination. This process avoids typical delays for ground launches due to weather and upper-level winds.[3] William Pomerantz of Virgin Orbit stated that any airport that can support a Boeing 747 could have been used, subject to local legislation.[55]

The carrier plane lifted off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, United States and Newquay Airport in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The company also had plans to use other airports such as Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Alcântara Space Center in Brazil that never materialized. Other proposed launch sites included Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Hawaii, José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Puerto Rico,[56] Oita Airport in Japan, Andersen Air Force Base in Guam[57] and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport in Australia.[58]

Past launches

[edit]
Flight no. Date and time
(UTC) 		Launch site Payload Orbit Customer Outcome
1 25 May 2020
19:50[59] 		Mojave Air and Space Port Launch Demo with "inert test payload" (Starshine 4) and INTERNSAT (intended to remain attached to the upper stage). Low Earth Virgin Orbit Failure
Flight test, maiden orbital flight. Launch failure after successful release and ignition of the NewtonThree engines on the first stage. A high-pressure propellant line broke causing liquid oxygen to stop flowing into the engine. Issue was addressed through strengthening engine components that broke.[42][41] Prior to failure aerodynamics including fins acted as expected.[41]
2 17 January 2021
19:38:51[60][61] 		Mojave Air and Space Port ELaNa 20 payloads: CACTUS-1, CAPE-3, EXOCUBE-2, MiTEE, PICS 1, PICS 2, PolarCube, Q-PACE, RadFXSat-2, TechEdSat-7.[62] Low Earth NASA Success
Dedicated launch of 10 NASA sponsored CubeSats. First successful launch of LauncherOne and the first fully liquid-fueled air-launched rocket to reach orbit.
3 30 June 2021
14:47[63] 		Mojave Air and Space Port STP-27VPA, BRIK-II, STORK-4, STORK-5 (MARTA) Low Earth MDA, USA SMDC, U.S. Navy, RNLAF, SatRevolution Success
Tubular Bells, Part One mission.[64] STP-27VPA is composed of four military CubeSats: Gunsmoke-J 3, HALO-Net Free Flyer, and two CNCE Blk 1 satellites.[65]
4 13 January 2022
22:51:39[66] 		Mojave Air and Space Port STP-27VPB (PAN-A and B, GEARRS-3, TechEdSat-13), SteamSat-2, STORK-3, ADLER-1 (Lemur-2 Krywe). Low Earth Department of Defense, NASA, SteamJet Space Systems, SatRevolution, Austrian Space Forum Success
Above the Clouds mission. STP-27VPB mission for the Defense Innovation Unit is composed of four CubeSats: PAN-A/B (ELaNa 29 mission), GEARRS-3, and TechEdSat-13.
5 2 July 2022
06:53[67][68] 		Mojave Air and Space Port CTIM-FD, GPX-2, Gunsmoke-L (Lonestar) × 2, MISR-B, NACHOS-2, Recurve, Slingshot-1 Low Earth U.S. Space Force, DND, CU Boulder, Langley Research Center Success
Straight Up mission. STP-S28A mission for the U.S. Space Force, consisting of 7 satellites. The ELaNa 39 mission, consisting of two CubeSats,[69] was launched on this flight.[70] Virgin Orbit's first nighttime launch.[67]
6 9 January 2023
23:08:49[71][72] 		Spaceport Cornwall AMAN, CIRCE A & B, DOVER, ForgeStar-0, IOD-3 Amber, Prometheus 2A & 2B, STORK-6 Low Earth ETCO, Dstl / NRL, RHEA Group, Space Forge, Satellite Applications Catapult, UK Ministry of Defence / NRO, SatRevolution Failure
Start Me Up mission. First LauncherOne flight from Spaceport Cornwall. The rocket suffered an issue during second stage burn and did not reach orbit.[73]

Not materialized launches

[edit]
Flight no. Date and time
(UTC) 		Launch site Payload Orbit Customer Note
7 2023[74] Mojave Air and Space Port QPS-SAR-5 Low Earth iQPS Launched on Rocket Lab Electron
Moved to Rocket Lab's Electron rocket.
2023[75] Mojave Air and Space Port Athena & STP-S28C payloads Low Earth U.S. Air Force, NovaWurks
STP-S28C mission.
2023[76] Mojave Air and Space Port Low Earth U.S. Air Force, CU Boulder, The Aerospace Corporation
STP-S28B mission.[77] The ELaNa-46 mission, consisting of three CubeSats, will launch on this flight.[70]
2023[78][79] Mojave Air and Space Port HYPERSAT 1 Low Earth HyperSat
First of six launches contracted to Virgin Orbit for HyperSat's hyperspectral satellite constellation.
2023[80] Mojave Air and Space Port NorthStar × 3 Low Earth NorthStar
2023[81] Mojave Air and Space Port Lemur-2 × ? Low Earth Spire Global
First of multiple launches contracted to Virgin Orbit for Spire Global.
[82][83][84] Mojave Air and Space Port SatRevolution Mars mission Areocentric SatRevolution
Commercial smallsat mission to Mars, using the Exploration 3-Stage Variant of LauncherOne.

Launch statistics

[edit]

See also

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to LauncherOne.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

LauncherOne

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
LauncherOne was a two-stage, liquid-fueled small-lift launch vehicle developed and operated by Virgin Orbit, a subsidiary of the Virgin Group, designed to deliver small satellites into low Earth orbit using an air-launch system.
The rocket, powered by LOX/RP-1 bipropellant engines—NewtonThree on the first stage providing 75,000 lbf of thrust and NewtonFour on the second stage—it was capable of carrying up to 500 kg to a low-inclination low Earth orbit or 300 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, making it suitable for CubeSats and other nanosatellites.
Uniquely deployed from beneath the wing of a modified Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft named Cosmic Girl at approximately 35,000 feet, LauncherOne enabled rapid-response launches from various global sites, including Mojave Air and Space Port in California, with the air-drop enhancing payload efficiency by avoiding the need for ground-based infrastructure. Development of LauncherOne began in 2015, evolving from concepts initially tied to Virgin Galactic's suborbital efforts, with the vehicle produced at a dedicated factory in Long Beach, California, capable of building up to 24 rockets annually.
The program achieved its first orbital launch on January 17, 2021, successfully deploying NASA's ELaNa XX mission with 10 CubeSats, marking Virgin Orbit's entry into operational service.
Over the next two years, LauncherOne completed six missions in total, including four successful orbital insertions that carried payloads for U.S. military, NASA, and international customers such as Poland and Austria, demonstrating applications in technology validation, Earth observation, and defense. The vehicle's final mission, "" on January 9, 2023, from Spaceport in the UK, failed due to a fuel system anomaly, contributing to financial strain amid rising operational costs and market competition.
filed for Chapter 11 protection on April 4, 2023, and ceased operations permanently in June 2023, with assets including LauncherOne hardware sold for $36.4 million, effectively ending the program despite its innovative approach to dedicated launches.
Despite its short operational lifespan, LauncherOne highlighted the potential of air-launch systems for flexible, cost-effective access to space, influencing ongoing developments in the commercial launch sector.

Development

Origins and early concepts

The concept for LauncherOne originated within in 2007, when the company began exploring air-launched launch systems to address the growing demand for affordable access to for missions. Inspired by established air-launch vehicles like the Orbital Sciences rocket and emerging concepts such as Stratolaunch's larger carrier aircraft approach, Virgin Galactic envisioned a dedicated system that would leverage aerial deployment to reduce costs and enable flexible launch sites. The idea was publicly announced by Virgin Galactic founder at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2012, positioning it as a complementary extension to the company's suborbital tourism efforts. Early designs for LauncherOne focused on a compact, two-stage utilizing bipropellant engines, targeting a capacity of approximately 200 kg to a 500 km (SSO). This configuration aimed to serve the burgeoning market, including CubeSats and nanosats, by offering rideshare opportunities from a carrier aircraft similar to Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo, with an emphasis on rapid turnaround and global deployability. Development progressed steadily from initial studies in , with more intensive work starting around 2012, though the project remained under Virgin Galactic's umbrella during this period. In March 2017, Virgin Galactic spun off the LauncherOne program into a new entity, , to streamline focus on orbital launch services and accelerate commercialization. The spin-off was led by key personnel including Dan Hart, a former executive appointed as CEO, bringing expertise in systems and carrier aircraft integration. Partnerships, such as those leveraging 's 747 platform for the modified carrier aircraft "Cosmic Girl," provided foundational support for the air-launch . Initial plans targeted operational flights by 2017, but the timeline slipped to 2020 due to funding constraints and technical hurdles in scaling the system.

2015 redesign

In 2015, undertook a significant redesign of LauncherOne to enhance its performance, reliability, and market fit for launches. The primary changes involved larger in-house developed engines: the NewtonThree for the first stage, providing high-thrust propulsion, and the NewtonFour for the second stage, allowing for precise orbit insertion maneuvers. To support the increased capabilities, the rocket's stages were lengthened with expanded propellant tanks using (refined kerosene) and (), and the structure adopted lightweight carbon composite materials to reduce overall mass while maintaining structural integrity. The redesign also included switching the carrier aircraft from WhiteKnightTwo to a modified named Cosmic Girl to accommodate the larger vehicle. These modifications boosted the capacity to approximately 200 kg to a 500 km (), with () performance exceeding 400 kg for lower altitudes. The overhaul also addressed cost and operational goals, aiming for a launch price below $10 million to make dedicated missions economically viable for smallsat operators, avoiding the delays and integration challenges of rideshare opportunities on larger rockets. According to Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides, the enhancements responded directly to market demand: "The market has spoken, and we have listened: we have roughly doubled the payload for our customers without increasing the price." This pivot emphasized rapid, on-demand launches from various global sites, leveraging the air-launch platform for flexibility and reduced infrastructure needs.

Testing phase

The testing phase for LauncherOne began with a series of ground and flight tests to validate the vehicle's integration with the Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft and its systems prior to attempting orbital insertion. These efforts focused on ensuring safe separation, structural integrity under flight conditions, and reliable engine performance. Initial captive carry tests commenced on November 18, 2018, when an inert LauncherOne vehicle was mounted under the wing of the modified Cosmic Girl for a 50-minute flight over California's , confirming aerodynamic stability and pylon interface without releasing the rocket. Subsequent captive carry flights in 2019, including multiple sorties with progressively more representative hardware, further verified the mating and of the system. A key milestone occurred on July 10, 2019, with the first unpowered drop test, where Cosmic Girl released the inert rocket from 35,000 feet over the , allowing engineers to observe clean separation, free-fall trajectory, and parachute deployment for safe recovery. Parallel ground testing at included hot-fire demonstrations of the Newton engine series, such as the NewtonThree and NewtonFour variants, to qualify turbopump-fed and propulsion under simulated flight conditions. These static fires in 2019 accumulated hundreds of seconds of run time, addressing ignition reliability and thrust vector control ahead of integrated vehicle tests. The phase culminated in a cryogenic captive April 12, 2020, the first flight with super-cold propellants loaded aboard LauncherOne, validating tank pressurization and boil-off rates during a two-hour mission. This led directly to the suborbital Launch Demo 1 on May 25, 2020, from Mojave, where Cosmic Girl released the fueled rocket at approximately 35,000 feet; the first-stage NewtonThree engine ignited successfully four seconds post-drop, carrying three student-built mock payloads representing configurations. However, about eight seconds into powered flight, a breach in the high-pressure line of the first-stage pressurization system caused the engine to shut down prematurely, preventing the vehicle from reaching , with the rocket splashing down in the after a brief suborbital arc. Post-flight analysis identified the failure as stemming from a faulty helium tank feed line that compromised pressurization, leading to implementation of redundant seals and enhanced line inspections in the propulsion system for subsequent vehicles. This progression from 2019 static fires and air-drop validations to the 2020 demonstration provided critical data on end-to-end operations, paving the way for orbital attempts while highlighting the challenges of cryogenic air-launch integration.

Operational history

Successful missions

LauncherOne achieved four successful orbital launches between and , demonstrating the reliability of Virgin Orbit's air-launched delivery system. These missions collectively deployed 33 payloads to , showcasing the vehicle's capability for dedicated rideshare launches tailored to customer needs, including government and commercial operators. The successes highlighted LauncherOne's flexibility in achieving various orbital inclinations and altitudes, with all flights originating from the in . The inaugural orbital success occurred on January 17, 2021, during the Launch Demo 2 mission, which marked Virgin Orbit's first demonstration of full orbital insertion. The LauncherOne vehicle carried 10 CubeSats as part of NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program under the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 20 initiative. These payloads, including educational and technology demonstration satellites from U.S. universities and research institutions, were deployed into a 500 km (SSO) approximately 60 minutes after the carrier aircraft's takeoff, confirming the rocket's precise insertion and separation sequence. This flight validated the end-to-end air-launch process, from mid-air release by the Cosmic Girl to payload deployment, paving the way for operational missions. On June 30, 2021, LauncherOne completed its first fully commercial mission, designated : Part One, deploying seven diverse payloads from three nations into a 500 km at 60-degree inclination. The manifest included the GEOST satellite for the ' defense ministry, the Brazilian SATinBlack for , and four U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) payloads under the (STP-27VPA), such as Gunsmoke-J and HALO-Net. Deployment began about 15 minutes after separation, with all satellites confirmed in within an hour, achieving 100% and demonstrating international collaboration in smallsat launches. This mission underscored LauncherOne's role in providing responsive access for mixed government-commercial payloads without shared rideshare delays. The third success, Above the Clouds on January 13, 2022, delivered nine payloads, including seven for the DoD's STP-S27VPB program, to a 500 km circular orbit at 45-degree inclination. Payloads comprised U.S. military technology demonstrators, including iROSA for solar array testing and PAN for autonomous navigation, alongside two Polish SatRevolution satellites (STORK-3 and SteamSat-2) for Earth observation and the Austrian Adler-1 for space debris monitoring. The vehicle separated from Cosmic Girl at 1:38 p.m. PST, reached orbit in under 12 minutes, and deployed the payloads sequentially starting around T+14 minutes, with all confirmed operational shortly thereafter. This flight exemplified LauncherOne's DoD responsiveness, enabling rapid deployment of classified and unclassified experiments in a non-traditional inclination orbit. Finally, the Straight Up mission on July 2, 2022, represented Virgin Orbit's first nighttime launch and fourth consecutive success, placing seven U.S. Space Force (USSF) and DoD satellites into a 500 km circular orbit at 45-degree inclination as part of STP-S28A. The payloads included the Compact Total Irradiance Monitor-Flight Demonstration (CTIM-FD) for solar monitoring and six DoD experiments focused on communications and . Launch occurred at 10:40 p.m. PDT, with rocket release, ignition, and orbital insertion completed in about 10 minutes; deployments commenced at T+15 minutes and concluded successfully by T+60 minutes. This mission further proved the system's operational tempo, supporting high-priority payloads with precise timing and altitude control. These achievements collectively established LauncherOne as a viable option for dedicated launches, accommodating up to 500 kg to SSO while enabling international and DoD missions with short notice. The series highlighted innovations in air-launch integration, achieving full payload success across varied profiles without ground infrastructure dependencies.

Launch failures

The first orbital launch attempt of LauncherOne, designated Demo 1, occurred on 25 May 2020 from off the coast of . The rocket was released from the carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl at approximately 35,000 feet (11 km) altitude, but an anomaly led to the premature shutdown of the first-stage NewtonThree seconds after ignition, preventing the vehicle from reaching . Investigation by revealed that the failure stemmed from a break in a high-pressure (LOX) feed line, which caused a loss of pressurization in the first-stage propulsion system. This incident prompted a temporary halt in flight operations while engineers implemented redesigns, including reinforcements to the lines and related components to enhance structural integrity under flight stresses. The second failure took place during the mission on 9 January 2023, marking the first orbital launch attempt from the at Spaceport Cornwall. LauncherOne carried nine payloads from government and commercial customers across multiple nations, including contributions from the Ministry of Defence and international partners. Approximately four minutes after release from Cosmic Girl over the Atlantic Ocean, the second-stage engine experienced a premature shutdown, resulting in the failing to achieve and the payloads being lost. Initial analysis pointed to an anomaly in the upper stage propulsion system, later confirmed through ground testing and investigation as a dislodged that blocked flow; this defect originated from a issue during filter assembly. The (AAIB) of the oversaw the probe, which validated the root cause and recommended procedural improvements in component . These failures led to operational pauses for each incident, allowing to incorporate lessons learned into subsequent vehicle iterations, though the 2023 mishap intensified the company's financial pressures amid rising development costs. In contrast to the three successful missions that followed the initial Demo 1, these events underscored challenges in achieving consistent reliability for the air-launched system.

Bankruptcy and program termination

Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 4, 2023, following the failure of its January 2023 launch attempt from the and subsequent inability to secure additional funding amid mounting financial pressures. The company had burned through over $1 billion in capital since its inception, with revenue from only a handful of successful missions proving insufficient to offset escalating expenses. On May 24, 2023, announced it would permanently cease operations after completing an asset auction, which fetched approximately $36 million—far below the company's $3 billion valuation at its 2021 public debut. Key assets, including the modified carrier aircraft "Cosmic Girl" sold to Stratolaunch for $17 million, the Long Beach manufacturing facility and rocket engines acquired by , and portions of the rocket inventory acquired by buyers such as , were liquidated to repay creditors. The stemmed from high operational costs exceeding $50 million per quarter, intense competition in the small satellite launch market from providers like and rideshare services, and unsuccessful pursuits of international partnerships that might have bolstered its order backlog. As of November 2025, there has been no revival of the LauncherOne program, with the company's remaining unsold following the 2023 proceedings and no indications of resumption by any acquiring entity. Despite its brief operational lifespan from 2021 to 2023, successfully delivered 33 satellites to across four missions, providing dedicated access for small payloads in an emerging commercial space sector.

Design

Vehicle configuration

LauncherOne is a two-stage, liquid-fueled orbital optimized for air-launch deployment from a carrier . The overall structure features a length of 21.3 and a primary of 1.8 , with a gross of approximately 30,000 kg, enabling it to deliver payloads to . The first stage forms the bulk of the vehicle's length and mass, utilizing a lightweight carbon fiber composite to house its tanks and support systems. It is powered by a single NewtonThree bipropellant engine, which burns refined kerosene () and () in a . allocation for this stage totals around 19,200 kg, comprising approximately 6,000 kg of and 13,200 kg of , yielding an oxidizer-to-fuel of about 2.2:1 to optimize during the initial boost phase. The second stage, narrower at 1.5 meters in , integrates propulsion, guidance, and deployment systems within a compact carbon composite structure. It employs a single NewtonFour engine, also RP-1/LOX-fueled, designed with restart capability to allow for multiple burns during orbital insertion and maneuvering. The stage's suite manages attitude control, separation events, and the release of into their target orbits. A clamshell , matching the second stage's 1.5-meter , protects the cargo during ascent and is jettisoned after passing through the dense atmosphere to expose the environment.

Propulsion systems

LauncherOne's propulsion system utilizes bipropellant liquid rocket engines fueled by and as the oxidizer in composite tanks. Helium gas, stored in composite overwrapped pressure vessels, is employed to pressurize the tanks, ensuring consistent delivery to the engines during flight. Following the initial test flight in May , which experienced a due to a ruptured high-pressure LOX feed line in the first stage, implemented design enhancements to the feed and pressurization components to improve reliability for subsequent missions. The first stage is powered by a single pump-fed NewtonThree engine, generating 327 kN (73,500 lbf) of vacuum thrust. This engine incorporates thrust vector control via gimballing nozzles to steer the vehicle during ascent. The NewtonThree was developed in-house by Virgin Orbit's engineering team, with initial hot-fire testing commencing in and qualification tests continuing through at facilities including the . The second stage features a single pump-fed NewtonFour engine producing 22 kN (5,000 lbf) of vacuum thrust, optimized with an extended for efficient operation . It is designed for multiple restarts—up to four times—to support precise insertion and potential maneuvers. Like the NewtonThree, the NewtonFour underwent in-house development and extensive ground testing from to , including ignition sequence validations essential for its restart capability. The second stage achieves a vacuum of 311 seconds, contributing to the vehicle's overall efficiency for deployment.

Carrier aircraft integration

Cosmic Girl is a modified Boeing 747-400 aircraft that serves as the carrier for LauncherOne, with the rocket attached to a custom pylon mounted under the left wing between the fuselage and the inboard engine. The pylon is designed to accommodate the approximately 21-meter-long rocket, providing structural support during captive carry flights. Initial modifications to Cosmic Girl, performed by L-3 Communications starting in 2016, included adaptations to the wing structure to bear the rocket's weight and integrate interfaces for electrical power, purge gases, health monitoring, and control systems operated by an onboard launch engineer. Further upgrades between 2018 and 2019 focused on enhancing structural integrity to handle aerodynamic loads during high-speed flights and increasing fuel capacity to support missions lasting up to 10 hours, enabling extended ferry operations to remote launch sites. These enhancements also incorporated FAA-certified flight controls and an Autonomous Flight Safety System to ensure safe operations. The release mechanism involves a controlled drop from Cosmic Girl during horizontal flight at approximately 10 kilometers (35,000 feet) altitude and a speed of around 250 meters per second. The rocket is secured by three hook interfaces to the pylon and is released through a pitch-up maneuver, allowing LauncherOne to separate cleanly before igniting its engines. This air-launch approach provides key advantages over ground-based systems, including greater weather flexibility by enabling the aircraft to avoid adverse conditions en route to the release point, the ability to operate from virtually any major airport for global basing, and a reduction in required delta-V of approximately 1.2 kilometers per second due to the initial altitude and velocity boost. Integration operations typically begin at the , where LauncherOne is mated to Cosmic Girl's pylon after payload encapsulation and vehicle staging. Propellant loading of and occurs post-mating, followed by captive carry tests to verify systems. Once configured, Cosmic Girl can ferry the fully integrated stack to designated release sites via non-launch flights, minimizing the need for fixed infrastructure at each location. This process supports rapid turnaround, with full integration achievable in days to enable responsive launch scheduling.

Launch operations

Procedure and timeline

The launch procedure for LauncherOne begins with pre-flight preparations, where the rocket is mated to the underside of the Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft 24 to 48 hours prior to the planned release, using specialized trailers to ensure secure attachment. integration occurs earlier in the process, with the satellite or satellites encapsulated and installed atop the second stage before mating, followed by system checkouts and propellant loading ( and ) on the morning of launch. Takeoff of Cosmic Girl typically occurs 45 to 60 minutes before the nominal release time, with the aircraft climbing to an altitude of approximately 10.7 km (35,000 ft) while carrying the fully fueled LauncherOne. Upon reaching the release zone over the , the pilots execute a maneuver to a 27° angle, positioning the rocket for optimal , after which the release pylons disengage at T-0, allowing the vehicle to free-fall. Post-release, the rocket undergoes a brief free-fall of about 3 to 4 seconds before the first-stage NewtonThree ignites, initiating a gamma-turn maneuver to build and altitude. Main engine cutoff for the first stage occurs around T+180 to 190 seconds, followed immediately by stage separation and ignition of the second-stage NewtonFour , with fairing jettison shortly thereafter to expose the . The second stage performs a primary burn to reach a transfer orbit (lasting about 5 to 6 minutes), followed by a coast phase and a brief circularization burn approximately 20 to 21 minutes after release; deployment then takes place around T+50 to 65 minutes, depending on the target orbit, injecting satellites into . The first-stage NewtonThree operates to provide the necessary thrust profile during its burn. Abort options are integrated throughout the procedure for . Prior to release, the carrier aircraft can return to base if issues arise during climb or loiter. After release, an autonomous flight system monitors and can command a destruct sequence if the vehicle deviates from the planned path, ensuring over the ocean impact zones. Mission control is handled by ground teams at dedicated facilities, who monitor real-time from the vehicle and aircraft via and radio links, issuing commands for ignition, separation, and deployment while coordinating with range authorities for tracking and hazard clearance. Post-deployment, tracking confirms insertion and health.

Sites and infrastructure

LauncherOne operations primarily utilized the in as the main launch site from 2018 to 2022. This facility, the first in the United States licensed by the (FAA) for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, provided essential infrastructure including integration hangars for vehicle assembly and mating, as well as a 12,500-foot-long concrete and asphalt runway (Runway 12-30) capable of accommodating the carrier aircraft, Cosmic Girl. No new construction was required, with pre-flight and post-flight activities leveraging the port's existing engineering facilities, high bay buildings, and tower to support up to 40 launches annually under the FAA's launch operator license. Spaceport Cornwall, located at Cornwall Airport Newquay in the , hosted the first international launch attempt for LauncherOne in 2023. This site featured a temporary operational setup, transforming the existing civilian airport into a spaceport through grants from the under the UK Programme, which funded infrastructure adaptations such as secure perimeters and operational spaces without permanent modifications. The airport's long enabled carrier aircraft takeoffs and landings, while logistical challenges arose from the ad-hoc nature of the deployment and variable coastal weather conditions. The air-launch configuration of LauncherOne eliminated the need for fixed launch pads, relying instead on mobile for flexibility across sites. This included globally transportable trailers for loading, integration in ISO-8 environments, and final checkouts, often deployed on vacant aprons at airports like Mojave. infrastructure comprised mobile ground stations for real-time data collection, with primary support from facilities in Mojave and , supplemented by international networks such as those in the for Cornwall operations. Regulatory oversight varied by location to ensure safe operations. , the FAA issued launch operator licenses under 14 CFR Part 431 for Mojave-based activities, including environmental assessments confirming no significant impacts from up to 115 launches over five years. For the UK site, the (CAA) served as the independent space regulator, granting launch operator, range control, spaceport, and payload licenses under the Space Industry Act 2018 and associated regulations, in coordination with agencies like the for marine safety.

Capabilities and usage

Payload specifications

LauncherOne was designed to accommodate payloads ranging from small satellites to multi-manifest configurations, with a maximum mass of 300 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) or 500 kg to a 230 km circular low Earth orbit (LEO). The payload volume envelope featured a cylindrical usable space of approximately 1.26 m in diameter and 2.12 m in length, within an overall fairing length of 3.54 m, allowing for flexible accommodation of various satellite form factors. Payload integration options included ESPA-class dispensers for standardized mounting of multiple small satellites, as well as direct deployment mechanisms such as annular or discrete point separation systems. Electrical interfaces provided 28 Vdc power (up to 3 A) during ground operations and captive carry phases, along with separation signaling via 10 breakwires, one Ethernet connection, one interface, and up to 24 separation commands (including bridgewire and motorized types). These features supported collision and avoidance maneuvers prior to release. While SSO served as the primary target orbit, LauncherOne offered flexibility for insertion into LEO or (MEO) through second-stage propulsion adjustments and selection of carrier aircraft launch sites, enabling inclinations from polar to equatorial. The vehicle targeted users deploying smallsats in the 1-500 kg class, including constellation builders and responsive launch tasks for the U.S. Department of Defense via VOX Space. Launch costs were set at approximately $12 million per mission, with pricing varying based on manifest and shared configurations to enhance affordability for multi-payload flights.

Performance metrics

LauncherOne's performance was characterized by a total of approximately 9.5 km/s to achieve , incorporating the air-launch boost from the carrier that provided an initial altitude of about 10 km and velocity of around 250 m/s, thereby reducing the rocket's required delta-v by 0.75 to 1 km/s compared to ground-launched equivalents through minimized and atmospheric drag losses. The vehicle's reliability stood at 4 orbital successes out of 6 launches, equating to a 67% success rate, with performance improving markedly after the 2020 debut failure to achieve four consecutive successes in and before the final 2023 mishap. In comparisons to contemporaries, LauncherOne delivered payloads similar to Rocket Lab's (around 300 kg to ) but at a higher launch cost of roughly $12 million versus Electron's $7.5 million, reflecting the added complexity and operational demands of air-launch despite comparable scale. Rideshare opportunities on larger vehicles like SpaceX's offered small payloads lower per-kilogram costs, often under $10,000/kg, underscoring LauncherOne's niche in dedicated, responsive access over bulk economy. The staging performance adhered to the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, which relates velocity change to mass ratio and exhaust efficiency: mfm0=exp⁡(−ΔvgIsp)\frac{m_f}{m_0} = \exp\left( -\frac{\Delta v}{g I_{sp}} \right) Here, mfm_f and m0m_0 denote final and initial masses, Δv\Delta v the stage delta-v, g≈9.81g \approx 9.81 m/s² standard gravity, and IspI_{sp} the specific impulse of the RP-1/LOX Newton engines, typically 280–310 seconds in vacuum for such bipropellant systems to optimize the two-stage configuration for orbital insertion. Pre-bankruptcy scalability concepts included a potential for LauncherOne, enabling extended missions by adding 2–3 km/s delta-v to deliver up to 100 kg toward lunar or trajectories, expanding beyond LEO without full vehicle redesign.

Planned and canceled missions

By early 2022, had secured a binding backlog valued at $152 million, representing contracts for multiple LauncherOne missions including payloads from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the , , and . This included a November 2021 agreement with ANA Holdings to conduct up to 20 launches over 10 years from Japanese airports, aimed at supporting regional deployments. Among the booked missions were several U.S. (USSF) contracts awarded in April 2020, totaling $35 million for three dedicated flights to demonstrate responsive launch capabilities. Specific planned missions encompassed international expansions, such as a 2023 launch of the IQPS synthetic aperture radar satellite from Japan, marking the first private orbital deployment of a Japanese-developed radar payload. In Australia, a September 2022 memorandum of understanding with Wagner Corporation outlined a demonstration flight from Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to establish national air-launch infrastructure. The third USSF mission under the 2020 contract, intended for technology validation in low Earth orbit, was also scheduled for 2023 following the completion of two prior flights. Following the operational pause on March 16, 2023, and subsequent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on April 4, 2023, all remaining LauncherOne missions were canceled, including the IQPS satellite launch, the Australian demonstration, and the pending USSF flight. The company's in May 2023, without a buyer acquiring full operational assets, ensured no resumption of flights. These cancellations stemmed directly from financial insolvency, exacerbated by the January 2023 mission failure and inability to secure bridge financing. The scrapping of these missions represented significant lost opportunities for the global market, particularly in enabling rapid, dedicated access for international payloads in regions like and , where LauncherOne's air-launch flexibility was positioned to fill gaps in responsive launch services.

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