Friday, July 19, 2019

Virgin Orbit Signs Satellite Launch Deal With UK's RAF

Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit, the satellite launch startup backed by Richard Branson, said on Friday that it has been selected by the UK's Royal Air Force, to launch satellites for a project called Team ARTEMIS. Financial details of the launch deal were not announced. Virgin Orbit--which only recently completed "drop" tests for its aircraft--is planning to use a modified 747 to deliver rockets up to a high altitude, and then release those rockets for delivery into space. Virgin Orbit did not say when it expects those launches to occur: Team ARTEMIS is a Royal Air Force project to demonstrate "responsive" launch and smallsat capabilities.

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