LauncherOne is a two stage orbital launch vehicle by Virgin Orbit that started development in 2007. The LauncherOne vehicle is an air launch to orbit rocket, designed to launch “smallsat” payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit.
The concept of the LauncherOne vehicle has evolved from the original 2007 design, which saw the concept move from a small launch vehicle of 200 kilogram launches to LEO to a larger rocket capable of 300 kilogram payloads into Sun-Synchronous orbit. This meant that the changes made it possible for Virgin Orbit to expand the launch possible manifests to include CubeSats and small payloads, which could cost less than $12 million to develop.
Virgin Orbit has also announced that the LauncherOne vehicle does have the ability to send payloads into heliocentric orbit, which can then see the payload have the potential to be utilized for flybys of Mars, Venus or asteroids. In combination with its launch mechanism, Virgin Atlantic has the ability to rapidly launch cargo and potentially people one day from anywhere in the world regardless of the weather condition at any one place!
By launching it from the Cosmic Girl Boeing 747 carrier left wing pylon, the LauncherOne rocket will be released over the ocean at a location depending on the desired orbital inclination. This process can be advantageous as it. can be used to avoid typical delays for ground launches due to weather and upper-level winds.
The 747 named Cosmic Girl carrying LauncherOne will lift off primarily from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, but the company also plans to use other airports such as Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Cornwall Airport Newquay, England, and others around the world. This means that as long as Virgin Orbit can obtain local approvals to launch from an airport, then the LauncherOne platform can be truly global.
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