News & Media, page-1359

LauncherOne getting closer. First orbital test flight in the beginning of next year.

https://spacenews.com/small-launch-vehicle-industry-entering-key-period/

“We see the next two years as being really critical for this industry,” said Stephen Eisele, vice president for business development at Virgin Orbit. “2019 is going to be a year where we’re going to finally start seeing these commercial smallsat dedicated launch vehicles come to the fore and start launching more regularly, proving business cases for the smallsat market.”Virgin Orbit is one of those companies, developing a vehicle called LauncherOne that will be air-launched from a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.

The company conducted the first captive carry flight of the system, with a LauncherOne rocket attached to, but not released from, the aircraft during a Nov. 18 flight in California.Additional test flights will take place in the near future, he said. “Assuming all the other tests go well, we’re looking forward to getting our first orbital test flight off in the beginning of the year.”