UK's Virgin Orbit Gears up for 'Start Me Up' First Launch Mission

Virgin Orbit is preparing for its first launch from the United Kingdom as early as Jan. 9 after technical and legal setbacks.

According to Space News, a zone for rocket launching was identified off the coast of Ireland on Jan. 4 with a backup date of Jan. 18 and instructions to avoid it. The Civil Aviation Authority has granted the launch operator and range control licenses, which the Transport Secretary has signed off.

The area corresponds to the drop zone for the "Start Me Up" LauncherOne mission from Spaceport Cornwall in England, which Virgin Orbit operates.

Virgin Orbit received the launch authorization from the CAA on December 21, 2022, removing the last remaining regulatory barrier to the launch. The corporation stated that the vehicle and its payloads were both in "excellent condition" for launch but offered no specific launch date other than to say that one will be decided upon in the "coming weeks."

Virgin Orbit's Preparation for Upcoming Launch

Allison Patch, a spokesman for Virgin Orbit, acknowledged that the navigation alert related to the planned launch, but she added that the corporation was not yet prepared to reveal the mission's launch date formally.

"All launch partners are currently working towards launch fairly soon." According to the Virgin Orbit spokesperson.

The sole orbital launch the UK has ever performed was the Black Arrow in 1971, which took off in Australia, thus making Virgin Orbit's launch a huge feat to celebrate for the UK.

According to Sky News, Virgin Orbit had intended to carry out the Start Me Up mission in 2022 by flying its Boeing 747 airplane, launch vehicle, and associated components to Spaceport Cornwall in October.

The corporation had originally planned to launch in the middle of December but postponed it days later due to extra technical work on the launch system and a delayed launch license from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

What Is the Virgin Orbit's Mission?

The mission, called Start Me Up in homage to the legendary British rock band the Rolling Stones, will be Virgin Orbit's first commercial launch from Europe and its first foreign launch overall.

The Daily Mail reports that when the reconfigured Newquay Airport hosts the space plane lift-off at night after all the commercial flights have concluded, Spaceport Cornwall will be the first such facility in the UK to go into operation.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) will be able to keep an eye on Earth and its oceans once they are in place since they will supply cutting-edge image equipment.

Seven payloads from different clients, including the UK, will be orbited as part of the Start Me Up mission, including the US Naval Research Laboratory, Ministry of Defense, and the first satellite for the Sultanate of Oman.