Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 UK rocket launch fails

Virgin Orbit’s attempt to launch a rocket carrying satellites into space last night (January 9, 2023) from the UK ended in failure. Boeing 747-400, N744VG (c/n 32745), dubbed Cosmic Girl, released the LauncherOne rocket over the North Atlantic Ocean, but a problem with the second stage meant it was not able to reach the required orbit. In a statement the company said the 747 successfully released LauncherOne and the rocket then ignited its engines, quickly going hypersonic and successfully reaching