When Virgin Orbit’s rocket didn’t quite make it to space, it was a major setback for the company and the entire British space industry. It was a tough blow for the businesses whose satellites were onboard and didn’t make it to their intended destination.
It was supposed to be a historic moment for the UK’s space program.
The whole space-business community was buzzing with excitement on Monday night as a modified Boeing 747 took off from an airport in Cornwall with a rocket packed with nine satellites.
But unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Just before midnight, the rocket separated from the plane and fired up its first-stage engine, but something went wrong.
Virgin Orbit, the company behind the launch, said that at a speed of over 11,000 miles per hour, the rocket experienced an anomaly, and the mission had to be cut short.
The company is still investigating what went wrong, but it looks like the rocket never made it to orbit, and the second stage with the satellites on board mostly burned up on re-entry over the west coast of Africa.
It’s a harsh blow to Britain’s emerging space program and a big disappointment for the businesses whose satellites were on board.
Matt Archer, the head of the commercial spaceflight at the UK Space Agency, mentioned that they are working closely with Virgin Orbit to figure out exactly what went wrong during the recent launch attempt.
They want to know the cause of the issue and how they can prevent it from happening again in the future. Unfortunately, the rocket didn’t make it to orbit, and the nine satellites on board were lost.
The companies and organizations that built and sponsored these satellites have potentially lost years of work and resources. The good news is that the 747 and its crew returned safely.
On Tuesday, Dan Hart, the CEO of Virgin Orbit, issued a statement apologizing for the failed launch.
He said, “We regret to say that we were unable to provide our customers with the launch service they deserved. We know how hard they worked on these satellites, and we are truly sorry for their loss.”
Failures happen, it’s just a part of the process when it comes to space launches. And while this latest one was certainly a disappointment, it’s going to continue the UK from pushing forward with its goal of becoming a player in the satellite-making and launching game.
Emma Jones, the head of UK operations for RHEA Group, a Belgian company that specializes in space security and had a satellite on the rocket, shared her thoughts after the launch.
She said, “As we walked away from the airfield, everyone had a sense of determination and resilience. We all knew that this wasn’t the end for us, that we’ll keep moving forward.”
In-Space Missions, another British satellite-making company, also took a hit from the failed launch. The team at the company had spent the last couple of years building a pair of high-tech surveillance satellites, which an agency funded by the British Ministry of Defense.
Doug Liddle, the CEO of In-Space Missions, expressed his disappointment. He said, “Our two satellites were set to be two of the most advanced and amazing satellites in the night sky. To have lost them is devastating for everyone involved. Most of the rocket’s devices were probably not insured, adding to the loss.”
Despite the setback, British officials and folks in the space industry are still seeing the positive side of things. Even though the launch didn’t go as planned, it’s still a big step forward.
The UK has been working hard to build the necessary infrastructure and regulations to be able to stage a launch like this, and that’s no small feat.
As Mr. Liddle, the CEO of In-Space Missions, put it, “We may not have crossed the finish line this time, but we’ve come a long way. This launch represents important progress for the UK space industry.”
In recent years, the British government has been paying more attention to space exploration, especially during the tenure of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The UK already has a thriving satellite manufacturing industry that includes companies that build miniature devices called CubeSats, which are becoming more and more popular for use in communications networks and other applications.
The country’s space industry has been pushing for the ability to launch its own satellites, as it would give them an edge and make it easier to test out new devices. This idea has been gaining support in some areas of the government.
The British government and private investors have invested around 20 million pounds (about $24 million) to develop Newquay Airport in Cornwall, so it could handle satellite launches, according to Melissa Thorpe, the leader of Spaceport Cornwall, where Monday’s launch took place.
It’s hard to predict what impact Monday’s launch failure will have on future government funding for the UK space industry. But one thing is for sure, the industry has momentum, and things are moving forward.
The UK Space Agency’s Mr. Archer stated that their commitment to the project remains unchanged, acknowledging that the projects carried risk.
Virgin Orbit, led by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, also plans to continue with its efforts despite the failure, but CEO Mr. Hart had previously noted that the launch in Britain presented logistical and regulatory challenges, and the company had to move from their base in California to Europe.
Prior to Monday’s unsuccessful launch, Virgin Orbit had conducted five launches, with one initial failure and four successes, all of which were conducted from their base in California.
The company plans to return to orbit after investigating the failure and implementing corrective measures.
Overall, Monday’s launch by Virgin Orbit was a disappointment for the company and the UK space industry as a whole.
The loss of the nine satellites on board was a blow to the businesses that built and sponsored them and a setback for the UK’s emerging space program.
However, it’s important to remember that failures are a natural part of the process when it comes to space launches.
This setback will not stop the UK from pushing forward to become a player in the satellite-making and launching game.
The team at Virgin Orbit and the UK Space Agency are working hard to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Despite this setback, let’s keep in mind that the UK has made significant progress in building the necessary infrastructure and regulations for space launches, and we should stay positive for the next launch.
