Virgin Orbit - Cornwall Spaceport

[RavenOne]

As you all know I attended FIAS2018 on business (see my photos of Tempest). Wondering into Hall 1 and spotted Lego space model competition on the South West Aerospace Forum, so stopped to drop ones card off. Noticed model of Virgin 747-800 and rocket underneath, thus the billboards advertising Cornwall Spaceport...at Newquay International Airport. As the announcement was made on the monday announcing Newquay int as launch site .....

For those of you who knew of our former RAF St Mawgan which was home to Nimrod MRA1 squadrons and RAF Sea King Training Unit (SKTU), and former US Naval Weapons Faciility and subesequentUS Navy Joint Maritime Force. Some parts of the airport are RAF albeit MoD JOINT Services Survival Resistance Escape school. Leonardo Training Acdemy uses it to train customers for the likes of AW101, AW159, AW139 etc...

Anyhow I took a couple of snaps of the models

http://www.spaceportcornwall.com/

cheers

 

[TomcatViP]

Scramble Magazine on FB has a nice set of picture of Cosmic girl fitted with its special pylon:

https://www.facebook.com/Scramblemagazine/photos/a.216124641747411/2380695021957018/

 

[Flyaway]

Giant leap for Cornwall as £20 million secured for spaceport

Cornwall Council will provide up to £12 million funding for the scheme, subject to approval by full council, alongside up to £7.85 million from the UK Space Agency.

A further contribution of £0.5 million will come from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.

The funding will allow Spaceport Cornwall and US launch operator Virgin Orbit, which is also investing an additional £2.5 million, to develop facilities and operational capabilities that would enable small satellite launch from Cornwall in the early 2020s.

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579891764592521220

View: https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1579891764592521220

Cosmic Girl is in the UK!

Is set to conduct an air launch of LauncherOne. Will be released over the ocean, but the duo will take off from the UK.

Vertical launch (from UK soil) is coming to the UK via the two sites in Scotland in the near future, however.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579867519719874562

View: https://twitter.com/VirginOrbit/status/1579867519719874562

Start it up This week, #LauncherOne will depart sunny California for our launch later this year @SpaceCornwall. Officially titled “Start Me Up,” after the @RollingStones 1981 hit released on Virgin Records, the mission is “starting up” the UK’s orbital launch capabilities.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579950695461322754

View: https://twitter.com/bbcamos/status/1579950695461322754

Really great drone shot of Cosmic Girl in Newquay this evening #UKLaunch #StartMeUp @VirginOrbit @SpaceCornwall

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580164048988971009

View: https://twitter.com/spacecornwall/status/1580164048988971009

And can we please take a moment for the EPIC mission patch...@VirginOrbit ️

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580889916451409922

View: https://twitter.com/bbcamos/status/1580889916451409922

MASSIVE moment for . The first ever Welsh satellite is integrated into its dispenser ready for its @VirginOrbit #UKLaunch next month. Congratulations Andy and Josh. @Space_Forge @SpaceCornwall

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580906146248130561

View: https://twitter.com/bbcamos/status/1580906146248130561

Not just another 747. Cosmic Girl heads down the runway at @SpaceCornwall for another rehearsal ahead of the first #UKLaunch

https://twitter.com/x/status/1581227073128914944

View: https://twitter.com/melsgoodspace/status/1581227073128914944

Right now there is a space rocket in Cornwall.

In
Cornwall

Welcome #LauncherOne.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1581207860158951425

View: https://twitter.com/ukspacecmd/status/1581207860158951425

Last night, a @RoyalAirForce C-17 Globemaster arrived at @SpaceCornwall carrying @VirginOrbit's 'LauncherOne' rocket

The RAF and UK Space Command are proud to support #StartMeUp - the first ever space launch from the UK - due to take place later this year.

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1581263488856444929

View: https://twitter.com/bbcamos/status/1581263488856444929

It's here! LauncherOne arrived at @SpaceCornwall last night ahead of next month's flight. #UKLaunch @VirginOrbit #StartMeUp
bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…

A @99Sqn C-17 from @RAFBrizeNorton landed at @spacecornwall night, carrying @VirginOrbit’s ‘LauncherOne’ rocket.

Later this year, Virgin Orbit will launch this rocket into space as part of the first ever space launch from UK soil. The RAF is proud to support this historic event.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1581322061271601152

View: https://twitter.com/RoyalAirForce/status/1581322061271601152

 

[Grey Havoc]

Break out the rock cannons!

 

[Grey Havoc]

Virgin Orbit may aid NATO in Europe with 'responsive launch infrastructure'

Virgin Orbit will develop a plan to help boost the resiliency of NATO and its allies.

www.space.com

 

[NMaude]

Scott Manley has posted a video about the launch failure of the latest LauncherOne launch (And first launch from Cornwall):

I posted it in this thread as I thought this was the appropriate one to post it.

 

[edwest4]

Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson's satellite launch company, to pause operations

The decision follows a tumultuous few months for the California-based company.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Zoo Tycoon]

Oh dear;-

Virgin Orbit plans for insolvency amid rescue talks with investors

The commercial space satellite company set up by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is working with Alvarez & Marsal and Ducera as it seeks emergency funding, Sky News learns.

news.sky.com

 

[edwest4]

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

 

[Michel Van]

with bad News
i wonder will Virgin Galactic be next ?
That run since 19 years and only made test launches...

 

[FighterJock]

What a shame about Virgin Orbit failing to secure funding, pulling the plug on it after just one rocket failure? that is just pure and utter madness. The whole thing stinks.

 

[red admiral]

There are loads of smallest launch providers vying for a limited market. Virgin Orbit looked like one of the most expensive.

 

[Michel Van]

Issue was VO expanding to fast without secure Funding and there is something with Richard Branson...
more on issues here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrEZ4JN9Szk

 

[Nik]

Looks like VO has fallen off 'tightrope'...
I wonder if they'd hoped to attract some of the Scottish launch-site's customers, but failed.
Also, there seems to be a zoo of rival 'small launchers' actually succeeding...
{ Sigh... }

 

[Michel Van]

Looks like VO has fallen off 'tightrope'...

According the Angry Astonaut
The Cornwall launch was the one the company needed to survive and gain international Customers.
It failed and customer went to others SpaceX, RocketLab, Firefly, Relativity.

 

[Hood]

According to the Angry Historian (me), as far as I'm concerned stuff the hubris where the sun doesn't shine. Cultural vandalism by Cornwall Council doesn't make a spaceport! A spaceport without any rockets is pointless and now that Virgin Orbit is history surely the whole thing is dead in the water?

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The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre has received a devastating blow to its exciting plans to relocate to a new site. Cornwall Council insists that the museum must vacate its current premises immediately, even though the new site will not be ready for at least 12 to 18 months. This means that...

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[FighterJock]

Cornwall Council will be quaking in their boots as it is going to be the English local elections soon and I wish that all the locals go down to the polling stations on the day and get rid of this inept council immediately.

 

[Nik]

snark:
Next thing, they'll be 'letting' the field for 'portacabin' migrant-holding...
/
The snag with such temporary solutions is their too-frequent permanency...

 

[Dew]

oh.. and:

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www.change.org

(yes, I have)

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