Virgin Galactic's orbital plans

[Grey Havoc]

Richard Branson sells $300m Virgin Galactic stake

Sir Richard Branson has sold a stake in Virgin Galactic worth about $300m (£216m), using his biggest listed asset to prop up other parts of his business empire.

www.telegraph.co.uk

British billionaire Richard Branson has sold about $300m in Virgin Galactic stock, tapping his biggest listed asset again to prop up his business empire during the pandemic.

The billionaire offloaded almost 10.5m shares - about 4pc of the space-travel company - through a company he controls, leaving him with an 18pc stake, according to a regulatory filing.

The proceeds will support Branson’s travel and leisure businesses, as well as help develop new and existing ventures, a Virgin Group representative said. Branson, 71, remains Virgin Galactic’s biggest shareholder.

The company’s shares fell more than 5pc in premarket trading in New York.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Forbe's take on it:

Billionaire Branson Sold $300 Million In Virgin Galactic Stock This Week As Shares Tumbled

Just a month ago, the 17-year-old aerospace company successfully sent its billionaire founder into space.

www.forbes.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Branson risks losing control over Virgin Galactic board

The billionaire’s recent $300m share sale leaves him barely above a threshold at which he can appoint three of directors

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Michel Van]

news over Virgin Orbit next step

 

[steelpillow]

news over Virgin Orbit next step

That Launcher Two is a strange beastie. A space rocket with a high-aspect-ratio straight wing that flies slower than its swept-wing mothership. Maybe it is oblique-pivoting despite the apparent fixed fairing, but even so the 747's tail fin is likely to get in the way. I'd certainly agree it needs some "long-term technology development" to get that sorted out.

 

[TomcatViP]

It doesn't even seems it can't be fitted under the fuselage as with deployable wings (or not) it looks to be fairly identical in dimension to their present launcher (remember Ryan Compas Arrow under the wing of a C-130).
I would guess that the marketing department opted for that configuration to highlight the configuration changes.

 

[Michel Van]

That Launcher Two is a strange beastie. A space rocket with a high-aspect-ratio straight wing that flies slower than its swept-wing mothership. Maybe it is oblique-pivoting despite the apparent fixed fairing, but even so the 747's tail fin is likely to get in the way.

It seems that Launcher Two is to heavy for under Wing launch
That launch from back will be tricky but possible, see the Shuttle drop Test in 1970s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHYhTFn45nU

 

[steelpillow]

That launch from back will be tricky but possible, see the Shuttle drop Test in 1970s

The Shuttle had no engine for the tests. Melting the mothership's empennage is not an option here, either. Getting them to fire, at full throttle and with precise timing, has always been a problem. The risk is that the jockey craft will lose airspeed and fall back onto the mothership before it has manoeuvred clear. Simple dropping buys time and kinetic energy which are not available to the piggy-backed. Hence the Stratolaunch Roc still plans to drop things.

 

[Grey Havoc]

From a few days ago:

WSJ News Exclusive | Boeing Plans Investment in Virgin Orbit’s $3.2 Billion SPAC Listing

Richard Branson’s satellite-launching startup said Boeing will invest in the listing later this year, a move that comes as the plane maker’s own space program faces hurdles.

www.wsj.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Virgin Orbit working on "evolved" rocket. NASA's Stennis Space Center says it reached a Space Act Agreement with Virgin Orbit last November for testing of a new version of the company's Newton 3 engine (N3.2). Testing of the thrust chamber assembly for this upgraded engine on the E-1 Test Stand, Cell 1, began March 30 and lasted through July 20. A total of 87 hot fire tests were performed during the testing period, with a combined test time of 974 seconds.

Design changes will appear in the Newton 3 engine ... "Virgin Orbit has been working with the Stennis test team since late 2020 on a variety of complex, engine-related activities," said Tom Alexiou, program manager for Virgin Orbit's evolved launch vehicle. "Their support of us has been exemplary in all facets of the program. We continue to maintain an excellent working relationship and look forward to our latest N3.2 engine development testing program that will take us into 2022." We'll try to get more details about performance upgrades for this "evolved" version of LauncherOne.

Rocket Report: Firefly completes static fire, Blue Origin gets HLS stay

“This requirement is in alignment with our US government customer.”…

arstechnica.com

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1433443359113166851

View: https://twitter.com/virginorbit/status/1433443359113166851

We were honored to host @ChiefofAirStaff @HarvSmyth & @spacegovuk Dep CEO Ian Annett for a walk of the factory & a discussion of responsive launch inside our flying launch pad. We're inspired by our work together to bring launch to the UK & move UK-US space collaboration forward

 

[DWG]

US FAA grounds Virgin Galactic over mishap investigations

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded Virgin Galactic as it completes an investigation into an incident involving SpaceShipTwo during its July 11 flight.

www.flightglobal.com

 

[publiusr]

news over Virgin Orbit next step

That Launcher Two is a strange beastie. A space rocket with a high-aspect-ratio straight wing

They stole Baikal fly-back art for that I bet.

It looks just like Baikal!

 

[Flyaway]

Virgin Galactic and Richard Branson sold $800 million in stock before investors knew about an in-flight 'mishap' that would trigger an FAA investigation​

Virgin Galactic and Richard Branson sold $800 million in stock before investors knew about an in-flight 'mishap' that would trigger an FAA investigation

Virgin Galactic and Branson may have made a misstep by not telling investors about the mishap, securities lawyers say.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Virgin Galactic sees delay to space mission with Italian Air Force

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc on Friday flagged a delay to its first commercial research mission with the Italian Air Force to mid-October due to a potential manufacturing defect.

www.reuters.com

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1448678488970457088

View: https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1448678488970457088

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust
Janice Starzyk of Virgin Orbit says the first LauncherOne mission from Spaceport Cornwall in the UK is scheduled for June 2022. It’s tied to the Queen’s jubilee, so desire to keep to that schedule.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Virgin Galactic delays first commercial space flight

Shares in the firm dive 20% as it delays first tourist flight to make upgrades.

www.bbc.com

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1474125719496060928

View: https://twitter.com/VirginOrbit/status/1474125719496060928

As 2021 comes towards an end, we're busier than ever! This week, we completed our final launch rehearsal for our upcoming Above the Clouds launch, scheduled for January 12. That successful test has us heading into the holiday season with excellent momentum and high confidence.

 

[TomcatViP]

Another launch planned for the 13th of January.

Plus expansion plans:

The company is looking at other sites for LauncherOne missions in 2023 and beyond. Hart said he expected the company to fly out of Oita, Japan, in 2023 after signing a memorandum of understanding with ANA Holdings, parent company of All Nippon Airways, in November 2021. There are also ongoing discussions with Brazil as well as interest from Australia and several European countries.

Virgin Orbit signed a deal with the Space Force in 2020 to launch from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, but even after the completion of an environmental review last year a launch there is not yet scheduled, he said. “We’re coordinating and in discussions with the Space Force on when they want to fly from there,” he said.

Virgin Orbit to demonstrate air-launch flexibility on upcoming mission

Virgin Orbit is preparing to launch a set of smallsats as both a demonstration of the flexibility of its air-launch system and its ability to increase its cadence of launches.

spacenews.com

 

[Flyaway]

Live stream for the above mission.

View: https://youtu.be/IEUQksTzGy8

 

[edwest4]

Virgin Galactic Plans to Go Deeper into... Debt

Virgin Galactic is going where other borrowers have indeed gone before, with plans to raise up to $500 million in debt to continue its efforts to take tourists into space.

www.thestreet.com

 

[steelpillow]

Virgin Galactic Plans to Go Deeper into... Debt

Virgin Galactic is going where other borrowers have indeed gone before, with plans to raise up to $500 million in debt to continue its efforts to take tourists into space.

www.thestreet.com

Well, that's usually why these enterprises go public - to raise new capital on the open markets and accept some equity dilution. Seldom seen such a silly-season headline for this kind of bog-basic move, though.

 

[edwest4]

Sometimes those who write headlines need to have a little fun, apparently.

 

[Flyaway]

Archived launch coverage:

View: https://youtu.be/IEUQksTzGy8

 

[Flyaway]

Looks doubtful for any UK launch in 2022 and more likely to be 2023 by the sounds of it.

Plans to host the first orbital launches from the United Kingdom this year are moving ahead despite uncertainty about when regulators will grant licenses for those launches.

Virgin Orbit intends to conduct two launches of its LauncherOne air-launch system this year in flights this summer from Cornwall Airport Newquay, also known as Spaceport Cornwall in southwestern England.

“The Cornwall launches are targeted around the middle of the year, summertime,” said Dan Hart, chief executive of Virgin Orbit, said in a call with reporters Jan. 11, two days before its “Above the Clouds” launch from Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Tony Gingiss, chief operating officer of Virgin Orbit, said in the call that the first Cornwall launch would be two flights after Above the Clouds.

Tim Johnson, director of strategy and policy for the CAA, repeatedly declined to say if his agency expected the first U.K. launch to take place in 2022. He said four applications had been formally submitted with 14 others in a “pre-application” review.

“You are set up. You’ve had these applications. Do you expect a launch in 2022?” asked the committee’s chair, Greg Clark.

“We’re open for business. We’re processing applications. The key driver for the timetable will be the quality of the applications, the evidence presented,” Johnson responded.

In a back-and-forth with Clark, Johnson repeatedly declined to say if a first U.K. launch would take place in 2022, to the growing frustration of committee members. “I’m a bit disappointed that we haven’t been able to get a clear answer from you on the question that Greg just posed about whether you do expect a launch by the end of the year,” said another committee member, Dehenna Davison. “Can you give us a yes or no?”

Johnson again declined. “The CAA understands the importance of timeliness in this regard and we’re doing absolutely everything we can to achieve that.”

Later in the hearing, though, Colin Macleod, head of space regulation at the CAA, said he expected it to take 6 to 12 months to issue a license for a spaceport, and 9 to 18 months for a launch license. “The biggest factors in that timescale are how well the applicants can explain their safety to us,” he said. “They are the experts, they know their technology, and the whole point of our approach is to enable innovative space activity to take place, so they are the biggest determinants in how quickly we can move.”

Regulators uncertain on schedule for first U.K. launch

Plans to host the first orbital launches from the United Kingdom this year are moving ahead despite uncertainty about when regulators will grant licenses for those launches.

spacenews.com

 

[edwest4]

Virgin Galactic opens ticket sales to the general public

The trips, which will take passengers to an altitude of more than 50 miles, will cost $450,000 and include several days of training.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[alberchico]

Virgin Galactic opens ticket sales to the general public

The trips, which will take passengers to an altitude of more than 50 miles, will cost $450,000 and include several days of training.

www.nbcnews.com

And for anyone who can't afford that, you can always head down to Florida and fly on the vomit comet for only $8,200.

Take Your First Step Into Space & Be Part Of The Zero-G Experience®

Find Zero-G prices for flights, advertising, and beyond, and take your first step into space when you book your Zero-G Experience®.

www.gozerog.com

 

[edwest4]

Virgin Galactic stock jumps 30% as space-tourism tickets to open soon

Shares of Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. jump nearly 30% on Tuesday, their most in eight months, after the space-tourism company said it would open ticket...

www.marketwatch.com

 

[TomcatViP]

Guys, there is 18 million persons worth more than a million dollar in the US alone. If VG would target only for example the disgruntled parents that want to leave much to nothing to their kids, VG would be fully booked for a couple of centuries...
Then you have the passionates, the curious, the bored, the mimics etc... This market is a niche, but the extend of it make it largely profitable.

Source: Wiki

 

[edwest4]

Which raises the question: Where's my million dollars?

Please send a check to:

Me
Anywhere, USA

 

[steelpillow]

Do you get your money back if you are space-sick?

 

[Arjen]

No. You get your lunch back.

 

[edwest4]

That's what the training period is for.

 

[TomcatViP]

Poland signs for Launch study:

The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) has signed a letter of intent with Virgin Orbit to evaluate how its LauncherOne can support the country's science and technology industries. This marks Poland's entry into the small satellite launch market.

Following several months of negotiations and an official visit to Virgin Orbit’s factory in Long Beach, California, the letter was signed by Professor Grzegorz Wrochna, POLSA President, and Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit CEO.

https://simpleflying.com/poland-loi-virgin-orbit-boeing-747-rocket-launcher/amp/

 

[TomcatViP]

Virgin Orbit is assembling a fleet of modified 747 jets, the company announced Tuesday, ordering two new modified cargo airframes to help launch more rockets into space.

The company is acquiring the two additional airframes through L3Harris, which will modify the jets to carry and launch Virgin Orbit's rockets. Virgin expects to take delivery of the first of the planes next year.

Virgin Orbit is assembling a fleet of 747 jets to launch more rockets into space

Virgin Orbit is assembling a fleet of rocket-launching 747 jets, the company announced on Tuesday, ordering two new modified cargo airframes.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Flyaway]

Here’s the Virgin Orbit press release.

Virgin Orbit to Expand Fleet with Modification of Second Airborne Satellite Launchpad

Highlights: Virgin Orbit signs agreement to secure two new airframes to meet U.S. national security and its allies’ launch demands L3Harris…...

investors.virginorbit.com

 

[Michel Van]

Virgin Orbit made a press announcement
They made a Deal with Brasil to use the Alcântara Space Center for LauncherOne

now i'm little bit confused, Virgin orbit has a launch site at US west coast site, one from Britain and now Brazil.
but only one Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft ?
seems they have to expand there Fleet

source

A Conversation with Former Senior DoD Leaders on Responsive Space | Virgin Orbit

virginorbit.com

 

[Flyaway]

Virgin Orbit made a press announcement
They made a Deal with Brasil to use the Alcântara Space Center for LauncherOne

now i'm little bit confused, Virgin orbit has a launch site at US west coast site, one from Britain and now Brazil.
but only one Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft ?
seems they have to expand there Fleet

source

A Conversation with Former Senior DoD Leaders on Responsive Space | Virgin Orbit

virginorbit.com

They’ve already said they are expanding their fleet, see up thread for the press release.

 

[steelpillow]

Virgin Orbit ... made a Deal with Brasil to use the Alcântara Space Center for LauncherOne

now i'm little bit confused, Virgin orbit has a launch site at US west coast site, one from Britain and now Brazil.
but only one Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft ?
seems they have to expand there Fleet

One of the chief advantages of a jet aircraft first stage is that you can fly to whatever launch site suits the customer, just do deals with a few airports so you can offer them a decent choice. You only need a fleet of one to do that.

They’ve already said they are expanding their fleet, see up thread for the press release.

According to that, they are only expanding by one at the moment, and that is down to anticipated demand rather than operational flexibility.

 

[FighterJock]

According to that, they are only expanding by one at the moment, and that is down to anticipated demand rather than operational flexibility.

And it is only a matter of time before they expand the fleet further considering the number of 747's that will be available in the future as the Jumbos are being retired from commercial service around the world.