Tech

Richard Branson’s LauncherOne takes to the skies

Published

1 year ago

January 9, 2023

ticker NEWS

A mobile air-launched rocket system to be used in Britain’s first domestic satellite launch could sow the seeds for a globally dispersed rapid-response capability.

Virgin Orbit, part-owned by billionaire Richard Branson, plans to launch nine satellites from a LauncherOne rocket attached under the wing of a modified Boeing 747, to be flown from a new spaceport in Cornwall on Monday.

Barring delays, it will be the first time a satellite has departed from western European soil.

For now the focus is on commercial payloads from companies such as Space Forge, which is developing in-orbit manufacturing.

But the launch is also seen by many as a blueprint for quicker launches of limited satellite capacity for tactical military purposes, in what planners call “Responsive Launch”.

“Ukraine woke up the world in a lot of ways,” Virgin Orbit Chief Executive Dan Hart told a news conference in southwest England on Sunday.

News

Boeing’s bad luck continues following Starliner malfunction

Published

5 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Nathan Langridge

Long-awaited first crewed test flight of the new Starliner space capsule was called off over a technical issue that launch teams could not resolve in time.

Originally scheduled for liftoff from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, the mission aimed to demonstrate Starliner’s capabilities and certify it for regular crewed flights to the ISS, as reported by Reuters.

News

Will Tesla’s supercharger layoffs eventually payoff?

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2024

Nathan Langridge

Tesla CEO Elon Musk dissolves supercharging team, leaving customers stranded.

Elon Musk’s decision to disband Tesla’s electric vehicle charging team has left customers concerned about the future of the company’s charging infrastructure.

The move comes as a surprise to many, considering Tesla’s commitment to expanding its charging network to support its growing fleet of EVs #featured