Once airborne, LauncherOne will detach from under the 747’s wing and nine satellites – both civil and defense types – will be sent into orbit.
By Tim MartinAutonomy changes everything about combat engineering
Sending robotic vehicles into the breach saves lives by removing humans from one of the most dangerous places on the battlefield.
LauncherOne also will carry two experimental Cubesats to test concepts related to the UK MoD’s $1.2B effort to develop its own ISR capabilities.
By Theresa Hitchens
“I want to see a kickass flight, really really soon!” says Mandy Vaughn, president of VOX Space, about her 2020 goals for Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne.
By Theresa Hitchens
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson hopes that his LauncherOne airborne launch system’s capability to rapidly launch smallsats “will be a deterrent to an enemy state, that is to not attack satellites in the first place.”
By Theresa Hitchens
From 150 down to two — that’s how intense and ruthless the competition is going to be to win the Pentagon’s nod for the small launch vehicle market.
By Theresa Hitchens
Venture capital funds are pouring money into space start-ups — including a number of firms being eyed by DoD –with investment in 2018 hitting a record high of $3.2 billion.
By Theresa Hitchens
Sir Richard Branson says the US military “is very excited” about the capabilities of Virgin’s Launcher One for resiliency on orbit.
By Theresa Hitchens
Top defense insights from 2024
A curated look at standout opinions and analysis covering topics like uncrewed systems, NATO partnerships, US-Saudi defense dynamics, and evolving warfare strategies, spotlighting key issues shaping the global defense landscape.
Tucson-based Vector Launch, Virgin Orbit, and a “stealth” startup can compete for prizes up to $10 million in the DARPA Launch Challenge.
By Theresa Hitchens
