Virgin orbit’s rocket reached orbit and the satellites were released. Sunday’s mission was a success. The original story is below.

Virgin orbit – the sister company of billionaire Richard Branson’s space tourism outfit Virgin Galactic – will try a second test of its small satellite-launching rocket later today. It will also be the first time the company tries to launch working satellites into space on behalf of NASA.

Virgin orbit’s customized Boeing 747 will take off from Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in the Mojave Desert and ascend to 35,000 feet. Once it reaches a predetermined location, the rocket is supposed to drop and ignite, taking the small satellites on board the rest of the way into orbit around the earth.

Virgin orbit tweeted Sunday morning that it’s aiming for takeoff at 10:30am PT (1:30pm et).

Lox loading on the rocket has begun, and we’re looking good to hit our target takeoff time of approximately 10:30 am Pacific.

There is no live stream of the test, though the company plans to Tweet updates throughout the flight. Photos and video will be available sometime after the test is completed.

Virgin orbit has performed increasingly complex flight tests since 2018. The plane ascended correctly, the rocket dropped, and the main engine ignited. A problem in the liquid oxygen fuel line prevented the rocket from reaching orbit.

Virgin orbit CEO Dan Hart said the company has done an’enormous amount of testing’ since May, despite the pandemic pandemic.

‘Virgin orbit’ will dive into the details and drive the maturation of the system,’ says Hart. Virgin orbit is a’pandemic environment’.

Virgin orbit will carry 10 different small satellites for various universities. Each will perform a variety of missions, including cleaning up space debris. A full list is available on Virgin orbit’s website.

Virgin orbit is enforcing social distancing, making employees use PPE, disinfecting spaces, and installing air purifiers. The mission was supposed to take place back in December, but was delayed because some members of Virgin orbit’s launch team had to quarantine.

The launch attempt was rescheduled to earlier this month. The company tweeted on Saturday that the hardware is’in great shape’.

Virgin orbit’s system does n’t need as big a rocket, or as much fuel, which helps keep costs down. The company argues that this is a potentially more flexible system, since it makes satellite launches theoretically possible from anywhere a 747 can take off and land.

Virgin orbit has also inked a contract with the Department of defense. Virgin orbit wants to launch missions to Mars, too, too.

Virgin orbit has spent hundreds of millions developing the airborne launch system. The company is now seeking up to $ 200 million in new funding. Backers like Branson and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund have sustained it through development so far.

The Virgin orbit team is’mindful that there’s risk on whether we will get to the final orbit’. Hart stressed that this is a test flight.

Virgin orbit has been’working vigorously and looking at all the details and making sure that we have the best shot possible to get to orbit’. The work has included help from NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air Force, and industry professionals.

Engineering team brought in a fresh set of eyes to make sure that we were n’t drinking our own bathwater. The engineering team was joined by a team of engineers.