Cosmic Girl Catastrophe in Cornwall

Last night, in a bid to set a UK rocket over the Atlantic Ocean, American Virgin Orbit launched jumbo jet from Newquay, Cornwall.

However, while it reportedly set off and started to rise, the rocket had an “anomaly”, failing to issue the satellites which were subsequently lost.

The carrier 747 vehicle, coined ‘Cosmic Girl’, arrived back at base without incident.

The mission was marketed as a significant breakthrough for the UK space sector, heralding the beginning of a domestic launch industry. The goal is to make the nation a key contender on the world stage, from satellite production to rocket development to spaceport construction.

Ian Annett, from the UK Space Agency’s, said the launch demonstrates just how tough entering orbit is, but that won’t stop the UK planning more launches this year.

Launch programme director Matt Archer, explained it was “the second-stage engine” which “had a technical anomaly and didn’t reach the required orbit.”

Archer was unable to determine if the rocket had returned to Earth, but claimed that if it had, it would have landed in uninhabited terrain.

The satellites were covered by insurance, so both producers and operators will receive payment.

Prior attempts to release rockets on UK soil were for military training or atmospheric study, therefore they returned to Earth without placing satellites in orbit.

The UK space sector, which is known worldwide for producing satellites of various magnitudes, has traditionally had to ship them to overseas spaceports to achieve orbit.

The industry aim is to eventually be able to handle all stages from initial design through mission operations thanks to the addition of a launch capability.

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