A mission to launch the first satellites into orbit from Western Europe suffered an “anomaly” yesterday, Virgin Orbit said.
The U.S.-based company attempted its first international launch on Monday, using a modified jumbo jet to carry one of its rockets from Cornwall in southwestern England to the Atlantic Ocean where the rocket was released. The rocket was supposed to take nine small satellites for mixed civil and defense use into orbit.
But about two hours after the plane took off, the company reported that the mission encountered a problem.
“We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information,” Virgin Orbit said on Twitter.
Hundreds gathered for the launch cheered earlier as a repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 aircraft, named “Cosmic Girl,” took off from Cornwall late Monday. Around an hour into the flight, the plane released the rocket at around 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland.
The plane, piloted by a Royal Air Force pilot, returned to Cornwall after releasing the rocket. MDT/AP
