The National Reconnaissance Office Is Partnering With the UK’s Ministry of Defence on Historic Mission Aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne
28 June 2022 - 10:05PM
Business Wire
Virgin Orbit’s first international commercial rocket launch will
carry a joint U.K. and U.S. mission scheduled for takeoff later
this year.
Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) announces today that it will carry a
joint mission between the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence
(MOD) and the United States’ National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
in its historic flight out of Newquay Airport in Cornwall, England
later this year. It will be the first rocket launch from British
soil, and the first commercial launch from Western Europe.
Virgin Orbit will send two satellites to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
using the LauncherOne launch platform aboard Cosmic Girl, a
modified Boeing 747 aircraft. The Prometheus 2 CubeSats will
provide a test platform for monitoring radio signals including GPS
and sophisticated imaging, expected to pave the way for a more
collaborative and connected space communication system with our
allies.
The mission’s objective is to allow the MOD to better understand
how the U.K. and international partners can work together to create
a more capable and flexible system at a lower cost than could be
achieved alone. The technology onboard the satellites is designed
to identify new techniques and algorithms for operating satellites
and data processing.
Virgin Orbit’s first overseas flight will be the launcher’s
sixth consecutive mission carrying commercial and government
customers since it began operations in 2021, demonstrating its
capability to launch from any 747 capable airfield globally. Virgin
Orbit has been working closely with the U.K.'s Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA), the RAF, and the Spaceport Cornwall team to make
all necessary preparations for liftoff. This launch of LauncherOne
expands the NRO’s innovative launch capabilities as the NRO’s
first-ever horizontal launch.
“This is a superb example of growing U.K.-U.S. space
cooperation,” said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart. “We believe the
Cornwall mission will provide a demonstration of the flexibility
and mobility of the Virgin Orbit LauncherOne platform. We are
honored to support the U.K. on this, the first orbital launch in
history from British soil. We look forward to continuing to support
the NRO, the MOD, and allied counties as they form closer
partnerships, drive innovation, and expand collaboration in
space.”
The launch service was acquired from Virgin Orbit National
Systems, Virgin Orbit’s U.S. subsidiary, as the first task order on
the NRO’s Streamlined Launch Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite
Quantity Contract (SLIC).
“We could not be more excited to support our National Security
Space and U.K. mission partners in this incredible, historic
launch,” said Virgin Orbit National Systems President Mark Baird.
“We believe the ‘Anytime, Anywhere, Unwarned’ capability that we
are driving to bring to the U.S. and our Allied partners is a game
changer, and we are all in to make this a resounding success.”
About Virgin Orbit
Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) operates one of the most flexible
and responsive space launch systems ever built. Founded by Sir
Richard Branson in 2017, the company began commercial service in
2021, and has already delivered commercial, civil, national
security, and international satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit’s
LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach,
California, and are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier
aircraft that allows Virgin Orbit to operate from locations all
over the world in order to best serve each customer’s needs. Learn
more at www.virginorbit.com and visit us on LinkedIn, on Twitter
@virginorbit, and on Instagram @virgin.orbit.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including with
respect to the expected Brazilian space activities and launches.
These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the
words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,”
“intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,”
“should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely
result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are
predictions, projections and other statements about future events
that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a
result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could
cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not
limited to the Company’s ability to access sources of capital; its
ability to grow market share in the developing space economy;
market acceptance of its current and planned products and services
and ability to achieve sufficient production volumes, as well as
the factors, risks and uncertainties included in the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2022,
as well as in the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Information section of the
Company’s website at www.virginorbit.com. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements,
and Virgin Orbit assumes no obligation and does not intend to
update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Virgin
Orbit gives no assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
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Linda Rivera Principal Communications Officer, Virgin Orbit
Linda.Rivera@virginorbit.com +1 323 316 6499
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