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The UK is gearing up to host its first rocket launch – but it’s fast becoming a race against time to lift off this side of Christmas.
The fabulously named Cosmic Girl is set to fly from Cornwall, after a UK grant has given the green light for rehearsals. The very first spaceport license in November.
While the exact details have since been shrouded in secrecy, Virgin Orbit and Spaceport Cornwall were targeting a date similar to the week of December 12.
But after it was revealed technical issues were to be resolved, the date was reset to “next week”.
So, will Cosmic Girl outdo Santa herself when it comes to flying over the UK this year?
As the clock ticks down, here’s what you need to know as the UK joins the space race.
How will the launch work?
The main thing to understand about this launch is that it will not remind you Classic NASA spectacleSome giant spacecraft with vertical launch into the atmosphere.
Cosmic Girl may sound like a knock-off Star Wars ship, but it’s actually an old Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747.
The seats were ripped out, and the upper deck was converted into a control center for launch engineers before its arrival on the Southwest Coast from Virgin Orbit’s factory in California.
Under its left wing is LauncherOne, a 21m (69ft) rocket, which will be launched at 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean before accelerating to 8,000mph on its mission to put seven satellites into orbit.
So when it comes to the view from Spaceport Cornwall, it will look no different than any other aircraft taking off when the jet takes off under the cover of night.
Cosmic Girl, operated by Virgin Orbit, has plenty of experience in that regard – in its previous life it carried more than 2.5 million passengers on about 8,300 flights.
The LauncherOne rocket will be launched at an altitude of 35,000 feet. Image: Virgin Orbit
Why are we not getting a vertical launch?
As impressive and inspiring as those familiar Cape Canaveral operations are, they are often beset by delays.
The so-called horizontal launch that Cosmic Girl will perform is much less weather dependent.
It also doesn’t require much ground infrastructure, so – to put it simply – less can go wrong than a vertical launch.
But that doesn’t mean the U.K. can’t afford the U.S. Or maybe Russia won’t get its own vertical launch one day, as a traditional launch pad is due to come online in Scotland next year.
Of course, the unfortunate irony in this case is that Cosmic Girl’s launch has been delayed anyway.
Less like this…
…more like this
What do we know about procrastination?
Virgin Orbit said “additional technical work” was required to “establish system health and readiness”.
However, the company pointed the finger at the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, saying licenses for launches and satellites in the payload were “still outstanding” as of December 8.
But Tim Johnson, the regulator’s director for space regulation, insisted: “The UK space regulation process is not a barrier to UK space launch.”
The technical problems cited by Virgin Orbit “are in no way related to the timing of when the license will be granted”, he said.
The head of Spaceport Cornwall, Melissa Thorpe, said she remained “optimistic” about the launch, but did not offer an updated timescale.
Virgin Orbit said it was “prudent to retarget the launch to next week” to ensure the mission was successful.
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Why are we still racing to space?
What is the purpose of the mission?
The first objective seems to be to give it a cool name: Start Me Up.
With all of the satellites – which are mainly built in the UK – the team has achieved over eight years to get to this point. Now loaded into the launcher on the spaceport.
is between them A prototype circulation factory to produce high-value alloys and semiconductors, and to join a fleet of satellites monitoring illegal fishing, smuggling, trafficking, piracy and terrorism.
It forms part of the government’s National Space Strategy, which sets out how the UK will become the first country in Europe to launch satellites into orbit in 2022.
Science Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “With 47,000 jobs across the UK, our growing space industry is an important part of the economy and plays an important role in catalysing investment, generating growth and prosperity.”
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Jumbo seats are ripped. Image: Virgin Orbit
What could this mean for the UK’s future in space?
Make no mistake, this is a big moment for the UK’s space programme.
The choice of when Helen Shermanwho became the first Briton in space in 1989, and Tim Peake27 years after a historic spacewalk, he has flown the flag for the UK among the stars, never before has a rocket been launched from the UK.
The UK has only completed one orbital launch, Black Arrow in 1971, and that actually flew over Australia.
Ian Annett, deputy chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said the Cornwall launch would be an “iconic moment”.
“This will catalyze investment, bring new jobs to communities and organizations across the UK, as well as inspire the next generation of space scientists and engineers,” he added.
With the country facing an uncertain time to say the least on the ground, the eventual border escalation could prove a complete distraction.
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