(Newswire.net — June 25, 2021) —
Virgin Orbit’s Flight: Will Cornwall Enter the Game
Virgin Orbit has already proven its capability of conducting successful horizontal launches. On January 17, 2021, the company’s modified plane Cosmic Girl successfully released the LauncherOne rocket from its wing, which, in turn, deployed a series of CubeSats into LEO. Now, Virgin is preparing for another mission and, potentially, looking to expand its number of launchpads — perhaps even, to Cornwall horizontal spaceport in the UK.
History of Horizontal Launches
The horizontal launch, aka air-launch, technology is not new, but Virgin Orbit is one of the first companies to make it commercially viable. Northrop Grumman has been air-launching its Pegasus series of rockets since the 1990s. During this time, the company carried out 44 successful missions, deploying a total of 95 satellites into required orbits. The launch logic is quite similar to that of Virgin Orbit — the rocket is attached to a plane which releases it at a high altitude.
But then again, if it were so simple, everyone would do it. The main reason why Pegasus only carried out 40+ missions in almost three decades is its high launch cost — $40 million. At the same time, the payload capacity is rather small — just 443 kg. Virgin Orbit managed to reduce the launch cost of its LauncherOne system to $12 million while increasing the payload capacity to 500 kg. How exactly did it achieve such commercial efficiency?
How do Horizontal Launches Work by Virgin Orbit?
Virgin Orbit uses a modified Boeing 747 plane, playfully nicknamed Cosmic Girl. The rocket — LauncherOne — is attached to its wing in a place normally used for spare engines. When the plane reaches 35,000 feet, it releases the rocket that free falls for some time before igniting its engine. Since the rocket is already high above the ground, the atmospheric and gravity drags are both reduced. This significantly reduces fuel consumption. Another benefit of air-launch technology by Virgin Orbit is that its Cosmic Girl can pinpoint LauncherOne in almost any direction, which ensures accurate orbit placement.
Still, the greatest breakthrough that ensures such a low launch cost is the propellant Virgin uses. Unlike solid fuel that powered Pegasus, LauncherOne runs on liquid propellant. Its fuel is based on a combination of liquid oxygen (LOX) and RP-1. The latter was commonly used for powering spacecraft since the 1960s.
One of the biggest challenges Virgin successfully overcame were safety concerns. LauncherOne needed to maintain cryogenic fuel conditions because the rocket would ignite near manned Cosmic Girl. Since human lives were literally at stake, Virgin paid special attention to testing its air-launch technology. However, it remains potentially hazardous.
Launching from Cornwall: Potential Benefits & Possible Setbacks
As the UK is working on both vertical and horizontal spaceport construction, Virgin Orbit has already declared its intention to launch from Cornwall. This facility, offering one of the longest runways in the UK, should become operational in 2022. Given that Virgin has already proven its launch technology, the two seem a perfect match. However, both the UK and Virgin will have to address some potential challenges first.
Even though UK spaceports have plenty of supporters, the opposition is still fierce. The public is concerned about the environmental impact of rocket launches. In this regard, Virgin has a competitive advantage because its RP-1 is similar to standard jet fuel, with minimal effect on the ground or atmosphere. However, the fuel and rocket launches still pose a danger to the ozone layer.
The major upside of air launches is that it reduces noise pollution. Unlike vertical rocket launches from a ground platform making quite a lot of noise, Virgin’s modified plane takes off with the same sound as cargo planes. And, given that the rocket is released high above the ground, the launch sound will not reach populated areas.
On the other hand, the UK and Virgin will still need to finalize launch permission. Even though technically LauncherOne can take off from any airport that services cargo planes, Virgin only has permission to launch from California.
In the long run, launches from Cornwall could benefit both the UK and Virgin Orbit. However, before a mutually beneficial partnership is established, the UK will need to finalize its legal framework to regulate launches.