First Space Launch From UK Soil Today

[Spymaster]

Second question: can you get insurance for a failed launched and loss of your satellite ...

Of course

 

[elbows]

Back in our region of space-time, it was spotted re-entering off the coast of the Canaries (this is the upper stage re-entering and not the nominal first stage disposal mentioned in the video title/caption, which was further north, back uprange, and would have had more of a head-on/line-of-sight perspective to this observer than the video suggests, plus probably insufficient energy to put on this sort of display).

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View attachment 358996

Thanks for finding that footage. The timestamps match quite well with that theory, and I believe they have since renamed the video to reflect what was actually likely being shown.

This mission happening at night hampered all the visuals they tried to show on the live stream, but ultimately gave us this most dramatic and informative footage.

 

[Elpenor]

Probably burned through the entire propellant budget with that momentary unscheduled side mission to the vicinity of exoplanet WASP-189b.

View attachment 358997​

Back in our region of space-time, it was spotted re-entering off the coast of the Canaries (this is the upper stage re-entering and not the nominal first stage disposal mentioned in the video title/caption, which was further north, back uprange, and would have had more of a head-on/line-of-sight perspective to this observer than the video suggests, plus probably insufficient energy to put on this sort of display).

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View attachment 358996

Set the controls for the heart of the Canaries

 

[bcuster]

 

[2hats]

Brief interim report on the progress of the investigation into the Virgin Orbit 'Start Me Up' LauncherOne failure: essentially, telemetry points to a dislodged fuel filter that precipitated a series of events that led to premature second stage shutdown.

Key observations at this point in the investigation:

• The data is indicating that from the beginning of the second stage first burn, a fuel filter within the fuel feedline had been dislodged from its normal position.
• Additional data shows that the fuel pump that is downstream of the filter operated at a degraded efficiency level, resulting in the Newton 4 engine being starved for fuel. Performing in this anomalous manner resulted in the engine operating at a significantly higher than rated engine temperature.
• Components downstream and in the vicinity of the abnormally hot engine eventually malfunctioned, causing the second stage thrust to terminate prematurely.
• The early thrust termination ended the mission, and the second stage and its payloads fell back to Earth, landing in the approved safety corridor in the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[two sheds]

a bit fell off

 

[2hats]

He's dead Jim†.

Virgin Orbit fails to secure funding, will cease operations and lay off nearly entire workforce

Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart gave employees an update in an all-hands meeting on Thursday, according to audio obtained by CNBC.

www.cnbc.com

† Almost.

 

[urbanspaceman]

I never did understand the attractions of air launch anyway. Orbital Sciences Corp tried it with the Pegasus, and that was a commercial failure. with 40 successful launches (and 5 failures) over a thirty year period. Pegasus weighed 23 tonnes and Virgin's LauncherOne 30 tonnes, each offering a payload capacity of 400 to 500kg. That is the upper limit, as the size of the carrier aircraft precludes any heavier rocket.

While air launch is technically quite feasible, with a limited payload, and no cost advantage, it doesn't make much commercial sense.

Northrop Grumman Pegasus - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[2hats]

Finally, Virgin Obit, it would seem.

Branson's Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy, to seek buyer

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday after the satellite launch company failed to secure the long-term funding needed to help it recover from a January rocket failure.

www.reuters.com

 

[elbows]

Yep, and rather predictable/inevitable. BBC version of the story here: Virgin Orbit: Richard Branson's rocket firm files for bankruptcy

An opportunity to find new interpretations of the lyrics of the Stones song they used in their crap propaganda livefeed.

If you start me up
If you start me up, I'll never stop
If you start me up
If you start me up, I'll never stop
I've been running hot
You got me wrecking gonna blow my top
If you start me up
If you start me up, I'll never stop
Never stop, never stop, never stop
You make a grown man cry
You make a grown man cry
You make a grown man cry
Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start me up
Kick on the starter give it all you got, you got, you got
I can't compete
With the riders in the other heats

 

[2hats]

Bankruptcy auction.

Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz)

Virgin Orbit sold assets to a trio of companies – Rocket Lab $RKLB, Stratolaunch, and Vast Space's Launcher – in a bankruptcy auction yesterday. Per filing: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/23/virgin-orbit-bankruptcy-sale-rocket-lab-stratolaunch-vasts-launcher.html

nitter.net

 

[T & P]

The converted 747 and various property leases sold for a measly £29m. We should have done a whip-around, bought it, and launched Urban Orbit Ltd...

Virgin Orbit: Branson’s rocket dream ends after mission failure

Virgin Orbit's shutdown follows a major launch failure and most of staff have been laid off.

www.bbc.co.uk