Next Virgin Orbit satellite launch will lift-off from Cornwall
The team from Spaceport Cornwall have shadowed the last launch from the US
Last updated 5th Jul 2022
Preparations are ramping up for the first horizontal launch from UK soil this summer, from right here in Cornwall.
The team at Spaceport Cornwall shadowed Virgin Orbit's Straight Up mission operations as their launch took place in California last weekend - the last one in the United States before the UK's first this summer.
It carried payloads for the Department of Defense and Space Test Programme, as part of the U.S. Space Force's STP-S28A mission.
Working with Virgin Orbit Mission Manager Mark McCullick on-site, Spaceport Cornwall continued to get mission-ready by echoing the operations happening in California from their Mission Control Centre in the Duchy.
The Straight Up launch began at 10:50pm local time on Friday 1st July, with the night launch time specifically chosen by Virgin Orbit to mirror the time planned for the UK launch.
Both the information gathered and experience from shadowing the mission are key steps for Spaceport Cornwall - proving their ability on the ground as they accelerate towards first lift-off!
Head of Spaceport Cornwall, Melissa Thorpe, said the excitement is mounting: "The success of this last launch in California is extremely rewarding for Spaceport Cornwall and the UK space sector.
"It was amazing to see both the team from Virgin Orbit and our team working together to mirror the U.S. operations in real-time - ensuring we're mission-ready for the summer.
"This gave us a taste of what is to come and our team could not be more excited".
The first launch this summer will carry multiple payloads of innovative satellite technology into Lower Earth Orbit (LEO).
St Austell and Newquay MP Steve Double said: "Having only recently met with the CEO of Virgin Orbit, Dan Hart, in Parliament, I am delighted to see their continued success in this area, as we move forward to preparations for launch from Spaceport Cornwall.
"We are now within reaching distance of this colossal achievement not just for Cornwall, but for the whole of the UK, and I look forward to the final push towards lift off in the coming months".
Matthew Archer, Director of Commercial Spaceflight at the UK Space Agency, who joined the Virgin Orbit team for the launch from the Mojave Air and Space Port, said: "The success of the Straight Up mission is another exciting milestone on our way to seeing the first satellite launch from UK soil.
"We are working closely with Virgin Orbit and it was a privilege to be alongside our partners to witness another successful launch for the team.
"The UK is home to some of the world’s leading satellite manufacturers, which currently ship their products overseas for launch.
"We are supporting them by fostering a new domestic launch market, with spaceports and launch operators providing services across the UK and catalysing investment from all over the world".