First satellite launch from the UK set to go ahead tonight in Cornwall

[joglynne]

snippets .....The first orbital satellite launch from the UK is due to take place at Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay tonight. If successful, Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket, carrying a payload of nine satellites, will be dropped from a modified Boeing 747 plane at 35,000 feet off the south coast of Ireland, from where it will continue into low Earth orbit to drop its cargo.

...... If the plane gets the green light to launch, it will take off between 9.40pm and 11pm GMT (4.40pm and 6pm EST) and head towards the Irish Sea, where it will drop the rocket about an hour later.

https://www.newscientist.com/article...t-in-cornwall/

Space fans can watch the Virgin Orbit livestream via Youtube from 9pm. The site is currently showing a count down video.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpz...LcK7rH_1oup7Sw

[Taf]

That was RAF St. Mawgan, my last posting with the SAR Nimrods.

[joglynne]

I remeber watching the Nimrods flying in and out of Avro Woodford, my uncle was an engineer there and would go on the test flights. I always used to wave as they flew over just in case he was looking out as they flew over our house.

Just checked the weather forcast over Newquay tonight and it's showing light cloud, very clear visability and wind gusting up to 23mph.

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:46 ----------

Latest update.

Cosmic Girl, the aircraft carrying the LauncherOne rocket, will start moving down the runway at around 9.30pm, with the wheels going up about 15 minutes later.

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-space-...-time-12783096

Soooo... this is just an aircraft taking off ?

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by Paul

Soooo... this is just an aircraft taking off ?

Adapted 747 Aircraft named Cosmic Girl with a rocket (holding 9 satelites) under it's wing. The rocket will be launched over the Irish Sea about an hour after the plane takes off. Not something you see every day.

---------- Post added at 22:05 ---------- Previous post was at 21:28 ----------

10:01pm Godspeed Cosmic Girl.

[Mr K]

And it failed. What a waste of money. Maybe we should stick to things we're good at like.... urrmmm.....

Originally Posted by Mr K

And it failed. What a waste of money. Maybe we should stick to things we're good at like.... urrmmm.....

Shows how little you understand about launcher development.

Space is hard. These things happen, especially with new systems. The sat owners are insured, the rocket trajectory is designed to prevent disasters in the event of failure. Virgin Orbit will collect data, diagnose, improve and try again.

Originally Posted by Mr K

And it failed. What a waste of money. Maybe we should stick to things we're good at like.... urrmmm.....

If you haven’t failed, you haven’t tried…

Learning from failures is how we improve things.

[ianch99]

Why spend so much money & resources when there are existing satellite launch vehicles? What is the USP here?

Originally Posted by ianch99

Why spend so much money & resources when there are existing satellite launch vehicles? What is the USP here?

Maybe we want a change?Some independence in our own space research?To make some money in this country?

Originally Posted by ianch99

Why spend so much money & resources when there are existing satellite launch vehicles? What is the USP here?

Why did Aldi and Lidl open here when there was already Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys? Why does any new commercial operation start up?

It’s always because there’s a gap in the market. In this case, there are two particularly significant opportunities: First, the UK is a world leader in satellite manufacture, especially small satellites that don’t need a mega rocket to launch them (unlike the bus-sized telecoms sats that require Ariane or Falcon Heavy to launch them). However there’s no domestic route to orbit so the finished sats have to be sent overseas. This adds cost and complexity to the supply chain and deters further investment. Second, for small rockets there are significant cost savings in horizontal launch from an aeroplane as opposed to traditional, vertical launch.

Virgin Orbit isn’t a government agency. It’s doing this because it sees a gap in a fast-growing market. But its commercial aims and the UK government’s policy of further improving the attractiveness of the UK as a place to produce satellites have aligned quite nicely.

[joglynne]

Last nights failure was disappointing but that is no reason to stop trying. The early rocket attempts were far from perfect.

10 Rocket Launch Failures That Changed History

https://www.popularmechanics.com/spa...unch-failures/

We are the 2nd largest producers of satalites in the world. Being able to provide a relatively cheap method of deploying them will hopefully prove advantageous going forward. Aircraft based lauches can be made from many airports in the UK and .......

Vertical launches are carried out in purpose-built spaceports. Two vertical launch sites are currently being built in the UK: SaxaVord Spaceport, on Unst in the Shetland Isles and Space Hub Sutherland, in Sutherland, Scotland.

https://publications.parliament.uk/p...%2C%20Scotland.

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by Chris

Why did Aldi and Lidl open here when there was already Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys? Why does any new commercial operation start up?

It’s always because there’s a gap in the market. In this case, there are two particularly significant opportunities: First, the UK is a world leader in satellite manufacture, especially small satellites that don’t need a mega rocket to launch them (unlike the bus-sized telecoms sats that require Ariane or Falcon Heavy to launch them). However there’s no domestic route to orbit so the finished sats have to be sent overseas. This adds cost and complexity to the supply chain and deters further investment. Second, for small rockets there are significant cost savings in horizontal launch from an aeroplane as opposed to traditional, vertical launch.

Virgin Orbit isn’t a government agency. It’s doing this because it sees a gap in a fast-growing market. But its commercial aims and the UK government’s policy of further improving the attractiveness of the UK as a place to produce satellites have aligned quite nicely.

I am not convinced the gap in the market is as clear as you paint. Here's a site declaring that there are 127 Small Satellite Launch Vehicle companies: Top Small Satellite Launch Vehicle Startups

I guess time will tell. As long as this is not a case of reinventing the wheel for non-commercial reasons.

Originally Posted by ianch99

I am not convinced the gap in the market is as clear as you paint. Here's a site declaring that there are 127 Small Satellite Launch Vehicle companies: Top Small Satellite Launch Vehicle Startups

I guess time will tell. As long as this is not a case of reinventing the wheel for non-commercial reasons.

And yet multiple commercial operators disagree with you. Their investment decisions have led to a now-operational spaceport in Cornwall, and two more to follow in Shetland and Sutherland. With their money on the line I doubt they have much interest in reinventing anything for non-commercial reasons.

There are lots of startups because there is lots of opportunity. In the mid 19th century there were lots of startups building railways on this island. Not all of them succeeded. The ones who correctly spotted the best opportunities and made good decisions to exploit them succeeded. Many others did not. That’s how business in emerging sectors works.

Originally Posted by Mr K

Maybe we should stick to things we're good at like.... urrmmm.....

Like spotting trolls.