:Virgin Orbit

{{main|LauncherOne}}

On May 25, 2020, LauncherOne's first launch failed to reach orbit.{{Cite web|url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/launcherone.htm|title = LauncherOne (L1)}}

On January 17, 2021, LauncherOne became the first Virgin Orbit vehicle to reach orbit, successfully deploying 10 CubeSats into Low Earth Orbit for NASA on its final demonstration mission.{{cite news|author=Christian Davenport|newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/17/richard-branson-virgin-orbit-launch-success/|title=Virgin Orbit rocket reaches Earth orbit, adding an entrant to the commercial space race|date=2021-01-17}} LauncherOne was deployed from the left (port) wing of a retrofitted Boeing 747, 33,000 feet (10 kilometers) above the Pacific Ocean.{{Citation|title=Watch this rocket launch from the wing of a jumbo jet - CNN Video|date=18 January 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2021/01/18/virgin-orbit-rocket-launch-boeing-747-lc-orig.cnn|access-date=2021-01-19}} The rocket was dedicated to the memory of the mother of Richard Branson, founder of Virgin - Eve Branson, who died from COVID-19 on January 8, 2021.{{Cite web|last=January 2021|first=Mike Wall 17|title=Virgin Orbit launches 10 satellites to orbit in landmark test flight|url=https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-launches-10-satellites-to-orbit|access-date=2021-01-21|website=Space.com|date=17 January 2021|language=en}}{{Cite news|date=2021-01-17|title=Branson's Virgin rocket takes satellites to orbit|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55699262|access-date=2021-01-21}}

On June 30, 2021, LauncherOne successfully delivered its first commercial payload to space.{{cite tweet |author=SpaceX |author-link=SpaceX |user=SpaceX |number=1410392725996904448 |date=June 30, 2021 |title=Tracking footage of Falcon 9 landing on LZ-1 https://t.co/uCR2ZuDSG7 |language=en |access-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190308/https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1410392725996904448 |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |url-status=live}}

On January 13, 2022, LauncherOne successfully delivered seven cubesats for three customers into orbit.{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2022-01-14 |title=Virgin Orbit launches seven cubesats on third operational mission |url=https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-launches-seven-cubesats-on-third-operational-mission/ |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}

On July 2, 2022,{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-launches-space-force-mission/ |title=Virgin Orbit launches Space Force mission |access-date=2 July 2022 |work=SpaceNews |date=2 July 2022 |archive-date=10 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110203747/https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-launches-space-force-mission/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Burghardt |first=Thomas |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/07/virgin-orbit-straight-up/ |title=Virgin Orbit launches seven satellites for US Space Force and NASA |access-date=2 July 2022 |work=NASASpaceFlight |date=July 2022 |archive-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702043556/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/07/virgin-orbit-straight-up/ |url-status=live }} LauncherOne flew a successful mission.

On January 9, 2023,{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=2023-01-09 |title=UK's first orbital rocket mission takes off from Cornwall |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/09/uks-first-orbital-rocket-mission-takes-off-from-cornwall |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=10 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110003032/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/09/uks-first-orbital-rocket-mission-takes-off-from-cornwall |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=William |date=2023-01-09 |title=Virgin Orbit fails on first mission from the UK with Start Me Up |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/01/virgin-orbit-start-me-up/ |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=NASASpaceFlight.com |language=en-US |archive-date=10 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110003036/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/01/virgin-orbit-start-me-up/ |url-status=live }} LauncherOne failed to orbit despite a nominal drop from the aircraft, with Virgin Orbit citing "an anomaly" with the upper stage.{{Cite web |last=Berger |first=Eric |date=2023-01-10 |title=The first orbital launch attempt from the UK ends in failure |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/virgin-orbits-launcherone-rocket-suffers-anomaly-fails-to-reach-orbit/ |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}} The failed payload included nine satellites from seven different customers.{{Cite news |date=2022-10-11 |title=Virgin jumbo arrives in Cornwall for UK space launch |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63218251 |access-date=2023-01-27}} This was Virgin Orbit's first attempted launch from the UK at Spaceport Cornwall; previous launches were from Mojave Air and Space Port.

{{main|Cosmic Girl (aircraft)}}Cosmic Girl was the name of the modified Boeing 747-400 that Virgin Orbit used to launch its rockets.{{Cite news|date=2021-01-17|title=Branson's Virgin rocket takes satellites to orbit|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55699262|access-date=2021-01-19}} In 2022, Virgin Orbit announced plans to acquire additional 747s with the ability to transport the rocket and ground support equipment internally.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Based in Long Beach, California, at its founding in 2017, Virgin Orbit had more than 300 employees led by president Dan Hart, a former vice president of government satellite systems at Boeing.{{cite news |last=Davenport |first=Christian |date=March 2, 2017 |title=Richard Branson starting a new venture dedicated to launching small satellites into space |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/03/02/richard-branson-starting-a-new-venture-dedicated-to-launching-small-satellites-into-space/ |access-date=2017-03-08}}{{cite news |date=March 2, 2017 |title=Virgin Galactic Makes Satellite Launch Service New Company |work=U.S. News & World Report |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2017-03-02/virgin-galactic-makes-satellite-launch-service-new-company |access-date=2017-03-08}} The company from which it was spun off, Virgin Galactic, continued to focus on two other capabilities: human suborbital spaceflight operations and advanced aerospace design, manufacturing, and testing.{{cite web |title=Welcome, Virgin Orbit! |url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/welcome-virgin-orbit/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308222740/http://www.virgingalactic.com/welcome-virgin-orbit/ |archive-date=8 March 2017 |access-date=9 March 2017 |website=Virgin Galactic }}

In October 2019, Virgin Orbit announced that Matthew Stannard was joining as a pilot on a three-year contract. Stannard had previously served in the Royal Air Force as a test and evaluation pilot notably on Typhoon jets. At that time Orbit was about to start testing its Cosmic Girl launch platform.[http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Virgin_Orbit_selects_RAF_pilot_as_it_plans_satellite_launch_program_999.html Virgin Orbit selects RAF pilot as it plans satellite launch program], Ed Adamczyk, SpaceDaily, 2019-10-04

A few months prior to going public, Virgin Orbit was owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and the Emirati state-owned Mubadala, which had invested about $1 billion in Virgin Orbit through August 2021.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In August 2021 when the SPAC merger was announced, Virgin Orbit estimated it needed $420 million in cash, starting in the second half of 2021, to reach positive cash flow in 2024. When it went public in December 2021, after completing its SPAC merger, the company raised $228 million, less than half than the $483 million it expected to raise. Virgin Orbit held an "opening bell" ceremony at Nasdaq on January 7, 2022, to celebrate going public;{{Cite web |date=29 December 2021 |title=Virgin Orbit raises far less than expected from SPAC merger |url=https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-raises-far-less-than-expected-from-spac-merger/}} it opened at $10 per share.

When the SPAC merger was announced in August 2021, Virgin Orbit aimed to be profitable on an EBITDA-basis by end of Q4 2024. The company said it had about $300 million in active contracts, and expected its rocket launch business to grow to about 18 launches in 2023. The company expected to have about $15 million in revenue in 2021, with an EBITDA loss of $156 million; however, it aimed at further revenue growth, reaching $2.1 billion in revenue by 2026.

The company's third-quarter financial report, issued in November 2022, showed cash on hand of $71.2 million, $30.9 million in revenue, and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $42.9 million for the period. The company's backlog of binding contracts fell by 12%, to $143 million, compared to the end of the prior quarter, and forecast that it would only have three launches in 2022, compared to a forecast of four to six, made earlier in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |date=7 November 2022 |title=Virgin Orbit raises $25 million from Branson's conglomerate as cash reserve dwindles |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/07/virgin-orbit-q3-results-25-million-raise-revised-outlook.html |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=CNBC |language=en}}

On March 16, 2023, Virgin Orbit announced a pausing of operations and furloughing of nearly its entire staff, while seeking additional funding. Causes for the event are cited as both capital management and technical. Virgin Orbit recorded a loss of US$139.5 million for the first nine months of 2022.{{Cite web |last=Alamalhodaei |first=Aria |date=17 March 2023 |title=At Virgin Orbit, it never should've come to a staff furlough |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/16/virgin-orbit-staff-furlough/ |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=TechCrunch |language=en}} Matthew Brown Companies, a Texas and Hawaii based venture capital firm led by Dallas-based Matthew Brown, a businessman,{{Cite web |author=Tim Fernholz |title=Exactly who is the investor behind Virgin Orbit's failed $200 million rescue? |url=https://qz.com/exactly-who-is-the-investor-behind-virgin-orbits-failed-1850288151 |date=March 31, 2023 |website=Quartz |access-date=6 October 2023 |language=en}}{{Cite web |author=Matthew Brown |title=w/r/t Virgin Orbit |url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mbrownnyc_wrt-virgin-orbit-i-will-not-comment-on-activity-7049252733127692288-qiIX |date=April 6, 2023 |website=LinkedIn |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}} made a $200 million tender for the company but ultimately fell through.{{Cite web |website=CNBC | title=Virgin Orbit raising $200 million from investor Matthew Brown, closing deal as soon as Thursday. | date=March 22, 2023 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/22/virgin-orbit-nears-funding-deal.html}} The parties resolved their civil litigation in March 2024. As part of the settlement, Brown was awarded $10 million from Virgin's Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance policy. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) settled and made no allegations of fraud against Brown.{{Cite web |website=PacerMonitor | title=SEC v. Matthew Brown. | date=March 18, 2024 |url=https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/53949148/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_Brown_et_al}}{{Cite web |website=LinkedIn | title=SEC v. Matthew Brown. | date=March 18, 2024 |url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7306304502813331457-WGY5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAFgwccBbu2gCKwh2PuIYT6I_PclcpjlwF8}} Board members had approved golden parachute plans for executives previously.{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |date=15 March 2023 |title=Virgin Orbit pauses operations for a week, furloughs nearly entire staff as it seeks funding |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/15/virgin-orbit-pauses-operations-furloughs-staff.html |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=CNBC |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |title=Virgin Orbit fails to secure funding, will cease operations and lay off nearly entire workforce until further notice. |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/30/virgin-orbit-funding-ceasing-operations-layoffs.html |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=CNBC |date=March 30, 2023 |language=en}} The company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 4, 2023.

Assets were divested to three major bidders in May 2023: Rocket Lab acquired the company's Long Beach facility, manufacturing and tooling assets for $16 million, Launcher purchased the company's Mojave test site for $3 million, and the Cosmic Girl aircraft was sold to Stratolaunch Systems for $17 million.{{Cite web |title=Virgin Orbit receives $17 million bid from Stratolaunch for carrier plane and related aircraft assets |website=Space.com |date=May 19, 2023 |url=https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-assets-carrier-plane-stratolaunch-bid |language=en}} An additional $3.8 million in assets were sold to Firefly Aerospace on June 15.{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2023-06-16 |title=Firefly to buy remaining Virgin Orbit assets |url=https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-buy-remaining-virgin-orbit-assets/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}} Virgin Orbit intellectual property is for sale.{{Cite web |language=en |author=Eric Berger |title=Rocket Report: Delta IV's grand finale; Angara flies another dummy payload |url=https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/04/rocket-report-delta-ivs-grand-finale-angara-flies-another-dummy-payload/ |date=April 12, 2024 |website=Ars Technica |access-date=April 26, 2024}}

VOX Space was a subsidiary of Virgin Orbit that was created in 2020. The company supplied launch services for the US military, sometimes referred to as the "national security launch market". The company used the Virgin Orbit LauncherOne launch vehicle. The president as of July 2022 was Mark Baird, who took over on August 17, 2021.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-17 |title=Mark Baird named president of VOX Space |url=https://spacenews.com/mark-baird-named-president-of-vox-space/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}

In April 2020, VOX Space was awarded a {{USD|35 million}} contract for three launches of 44 cubesats for US Space Force. The first of these launches succeeded on July 2, 2022.{{cite news|last=Erwin|first=Sandra|date=10 April 2019|title=Virgin Orbit's VOX Space wins $35 million U.S. Space Force launch contract|work=SpaceNews|url=https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbits-vox-space-wins-35-million-u-s-space-force-launch-contract/|access-date=11 April 2019}}{{Cite web|last=Kanayama|first=Lee|date=2020-04-10|title=LauncherOne Cryo Captive Carry test on Cosmic Girl - wins smallsat missions|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/04/launcherone-wins-three-dedicated-smallsat-missions/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=NASASpaceFlight.com|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Stephen |title=Virgin Orbit's first night launch a success; UK mission next – Spaceflight Now |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/07/02/virgin-orbits-first-night-launch-a-success-uk-mission-next/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |language=en-US}}

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Virgin Orbit announced it was a partner with the University of California Irvine and the University of Texas at Austin in a new venture to build simplified mechanical ventilators — specifically "bridge ventilators" for partially recovered patients and patients not in intensive care — to address the critical global shortage of ventilators.[https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-designs-ventilator-to-fight-coronavirus.html "Virgin Orbit designs new ventilator as part of Virgin Group's efforts to combat coronavirus,"] March, 2020, Space.com, retrieved April 2, 2020[https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/bransons-virgin-orbit-to-begin-coronavirus-ventilator-mass-production.html "Branson's Virgin Orbit to begin coronavirus ventilator mass production,"] March 30, 2020, NBC News, retrieved April 2, 2020. They were granted an emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2020.Darrell Etherington, "[https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/23/virgin-orbits-ventilators-gain-fda-authorization-deliveries-to-hospitals-will-start-within-days/ Virgin Orbit's ventilators gain FDA authorization, deliveries to hospitals will start within days]," April 23, 2020, TechCrunch. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

Virgin Orbit agreed to launch space flights from Spaceport Cornwall{{Cite web|url=https://www.virgin.com/about-virgin/latest/virgin-orbit-one-step-closer-to-launches-from-spaceport-cornwall|title = Virgin Orbit one step closer to launches from Spaceport Cornwall|publisher= Virgin Orbit}} in a project partly funded by the UK Space Agency.{{Cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/u-k-government-to-fund-spaceport-improvements-for-virgin-orbit/|title=U.K. Government to fund spaceport improvements for Virgin Orbit|publisher=Space News|date=6 November 2019}}

Virgin Orbit's first and only UK launch took place on January 9, 2023.{{cite web |title=UK space launch: Historic Cornwall rocket mission set to blast off |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64190848 |website=BBC News |date=9 January 2023}} The rocket failed to reach orbit.{{cite web |title=UK space launch: Historic Cornwall rocket launch ends in failure |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64218883 |website=BBC News |date=9 January 2023}}

In April 2021, the Brazilian Space Agency disclosed the company among those selected to operate orbital launches from the Alcantara Launch Center in Brazil.{{Cite web|url=https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/virgin-orbit-selected-to-bring-orbital-launch-capabilities-to-brazil/|title=Virgin Orbit Selected to Bring Orbital Launch Capabilities to Brazil|publisher=Virgin Orbit|date=28 April 2021|access-date=May 7, 2021|archive-date=June 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619092147/https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/virgin-orbit-selected-to-bring-orbital-launch-capabilities-to-brazil/|url-status=dead}} On June 27, 2022, Virgin Orbit announced a Brazil-based subsidiary, Virgin Orbit Brasil Ltda, to facilitate launches from the Alcantara Launch Center. The Brazil-based launch center is just two degrees south of the Equator, allowing launches to almost every orbital inclination.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-27 |title=Virgin Orbit Formally Establishes New Brazilian Subsidiary and Receives Operator's License for Launch Operations in Alcântara |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220627005163/en/Virgin-Orbit-Formally-Establishes-New-Brazilian-Subsidiary-and-Receives-Operator%E2%80%99s-License-for-Launch-Operations-in-Alc%C3%A2ntara |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}} In the end, no launches from Brazilia took place.

In September 2022, Virgin Orbit signed an agreement with Wagner Corporation to base a 747-400 launch aircraft at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport in Queensland with a demonstrator launch planned for 2024.{{cite news|url=https://australianaviation.com.au/2022/09/toowoomba-airport-to-become-747-rocket-launch-site/|title=Toowoomba Airport to become 747 rocket launch site |publisher=Australian Aviation|date=20 September 2022}} In the end, no launches from Australia were performed.

Virgin Orbit considered a mission to Mars in 2022. In the end, Virgin Orbit did not perform any interplanetary missions; especially the Mars mission did not happen.{{Cite web|date=2019-10-24|title=Virgin Orbit to add extra rocket stage to LauncherOne for interplanetary missions|url=https://spacenews.com/virgin-orbit-to-add-extra-rocket-stage-to-launcherone-for-interplanetary-missions/|access-date=2021-11-12|website=SpaceNews|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=O'Callaghan|first=Jonathan|title=Virgin Orbit Is Planning An Ambitious Mission To Mars In 2022|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2019/10/09/virgin-orbit-is-planning-an-ambitious-mission-to-mars-in-2022/|access-date=2021-11-12|website=Forbes|language=en}}

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{{Virgin Group}}

{{Virgin Galactic}}

Category:Aerospace companies of the United States

Category:Private spaceflight companies

Category:Commercial launch service providers

Category:Virgin Galactic

Category:Technology companies based in Greater Los Angeles

Category:Companies based in Long Beach, California

Category:Technology companies established in 2017

Category:Technology companies disestablished in 2023

Category:American companies established in 2017

Category:American companies disestablished in 2023

Category:Aabar Investments

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023

Category:Companies that have filed for bankruptcy in the United States

Category:Defunct spaceflight companies

Category:2017 establishments in California

Category:2023 disestablishments in California