On Sunday, 17th January 2021 the rocket company Virgin Orbit succeeded in putting their first rockets into space. After failing a previous mission back in May, this endeavour has been a huge triumph for the Virgin team. Ten payloads, each developed by universities, were loaded on the rocket which was launched from under the wing of an old converted B747s, named ‘Cosmic Girl’.

 "Cosmic Girl" left its base in California's Mojave desert at 18:50 UTC and flew out over the Pacific Ocean. Around an hour later, cruising at 35,000ft, the aircraft banked hard to the right and dropped the 21m long rocket. Within seconds the booster, called LauncherOne, had ignited its engine and was climbing to space. Correct deployment of the various spacecraft onboard at an altitude of roughly 500km was confirmed a couple of hours later.

In speaking about the successful mission, Sir Richard Branson stated, "Virgin Orbit has achieved something many thought impossible. It was so inspiring to see our specially adapted Virgin Atlantic 747, Cosmic Girl, send the LauncherOne rocket soaring into orbit.”

"This magnificent flight is the culmination of many years of hard work and will also unleash a whole new generation of innovators on the path to orbit. I can't wait to see the incredible missions Dan and the team will launch to change the world for good.”

The market for cheaper and smaller spacecraft is on the rise, of which many companies are trying to ride the wave. This satellite launch business which has been a project of Sir Richard Branson since 2009, is a huge contender that we can only expect more amazing developments to come from.