- Mission terminated after reaching space but prior to achieving
orbit as a result of premature shutdown of first burn of second
stage
- Prior to Start Me Up mission, every customer satellite launched
by Virgin Orbit had reached its desired orbit
- Virgin Orbit has begun an internal investigation into root
causes
- Pending satisfactory conclusion of failure investigation and
completion of corrective actions and mission assurance processes,
Virgin Orbit plans its next launch from Mojave
- Discussions have begun for anticipated future return to
Spaceport Cornwall
Preliminary analysis of data from the Start Me Up mission has
begun to shed light on the outcome of the January 9th flight and
next steps to follow.
Mission Recap
The Start Me Up mission was the first orbital launch attempt in
history conducted from western Europe. The flight was conducted by
Virgin Orbit’s air-launched LauncherOne system from the newly
commissioned Spaceport Cornwall in the UK, which just a few weeks
ago was transformed from a mere slab of empty cement at a
commercial airport into the world’s newest space launch operations
center.
After successfully proceeding through pre-launch operations and
taking off as planned from the runway at Spaceport Cornwall, Virgin
Orbit’s carrier aircraft traveled to the bespoke drop zone selected
for this mission and successfully released the rocket.
The rocket then ignited its first stage engine, quickly going
hypersonic and successfully completing the stage one burn. Initial
data assessments indicate that the first stage of the rocket
performed as expected, that the rocket reached space altitudes, and
that stage separation, ignition of the upper stage, and fairing
separation similarly occurred per the planned mission timeline.
Later in the mission, at an altitude of approximately 180 km,
the upper stage experienced an anomaly. This anomaly prematurely
ended the first burn of the upper stage. This event ended the
mission, with the rocket components and payload falling back to
Earth within the approved safety corridor without ever achieving
orbit.
Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft and its crew returned safely to
Spaceport Cornwall.
Update on the Investigation and Next Steps
Extensive telemetry coverage for the flight allowed for the
collection of an enormous quantity of data during the mission,
allowing Virgin Orbit’s engineers and review board members to start
their analysis immediately upon detection of the anomaly.
Virgin Orbit has initiated a formal investigation into the
source of the second stage failure, to be led by Jim Sponnick
(Co-Investigator), a distinguished aerospace veteran who was
instrumental in the development and operations of the Atlas II, III
and V launch systems and operations of the Delta II and IV launch
systems and Chad Foerster (Principal Investigator), Virgin Orbit’s
Chief Engineer and Vice President of Technology Development. An
extensive fault analysis and investigation and completion of all
required corrective actions identified during the investigation
will be completed prior to the next flight.
Virgin Orbit is continuing to process its next scheduled rocket
through final integration and checkout ahead of its upcoming
mission, which is planned to occur from the Mojave Air and Space
Port in California.
Virgin Orbit also anticipates returning to Spaceport Cornwall
for additional launches, and is in active discussions with key
government and commercial stakeholders in the UK to start planning
mission opportunities for as soon as later this year.
Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit, said: “We are all
disappointed that we were not able to achieve full mission success
and provide the launch service that our customers deserve. Upon
identifying the anomaly, our team immediately moved into a
pre-planned investigation mode. Given our four previous successful
missions, which have proven our technology, our team’s deep
understanding of the LauncherOne system from massive amounts of
previously collected flight data, and the ample telemetry data that
was collected characterizing the flight and the anomaly, I am
confident that root cause and corrective actions will be determined
in an efficient and timely manner. We are continuing to process and
test our next vehicle per our plan and will implement any required
modifications prior to our next launch.
“I also want to express my heartfelt appreciation to our team,
who worked tirelessly under high pressure and difficult conditions,
and most importantly to our customers, supporters, and partners in
the UK, the US, and across the world. We thank you for the many
expressions of confidence and support we have received over the
past two days.”
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. We intend such
forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor
provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements
contained in this press release other than statements of historical
fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including,
without limitation, statements regarding our expectations regarding
the timing and results of our investigation regarding the Start Me
Up mission, timing and locations of future launches and the
reliability and outcome of future launch systems and missions.
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 ability of Virgin Orbit Holdings, Inc. ("Virgin
Orbit" or the “Company”) 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 quarterly period ended
September 30, 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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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230112005337/en/
Virgin Orbit Alison Patch, Senior Director of Communications
(US) +1 949 616 2504 Alison.patch@virginorbit.com
Charlotte Sjoberg, Virgin (UK) +44 7766 240821
Charlotte.sjoberg@virgin.com
Virgin Orbit (NASDAQ:VORB)
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