Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No performance specsNo structured payload capacity rows are linked to this vehicle family. | |||||
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| Launch 2023-F01 | LauncherOne | Jan 9, 2023 |
| STP-S28A | LauncherOne | Jul 2, 2022 |
| STP-27VPB | LauncherOne | Jan 13, 2022 |
| STP-27VPA |
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
LauncherOne | Not stated | 6 | Retired |
LauncherOne |
| Jun 30, 2021 |
| Elana XX | LauncherOne | Jan 17, 2021 |
| Launch 2020-F04 | LauncherOne | May 25, 2020 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
OneWeb agreed in 2015 to pay Virgin Orbit $234 million, or $6,000,000 per launch, to loft its satellites one or two at a time using Virgin Orbit’s air-launched LauncherOne vehicle.
LauncherOne is an air-launched launch vehicle developed by Virgin Orbit that the company expected to debut in 2018.
The U.K. Space Agency and Cornwall Council are providing up to £20 million to fund development of facilities and operational capabilities at Cornwall Airport Newquay to allow Virgin Orbit to carry out launches using its LauncherOne system.
Virgin Orbit uses a Boeing 747 aircraft as an air-launch platform for its LauncherOne rocket.
Virgin Orbit signed an agreement with Cornwall officials during the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2018 to study LauncherOne operations from Spaceport Cornwall.
Virgin Orbit performed a captive carry test of its Boeing 747 with a LauncherOne attached.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne development was in its final phase and required a few captive carry flights of a modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft before first orbital launch as of May 2019.
The U.S. Air Force plans to launch 21 payloads on five missions this calendar year through RALI, including the STP-27RD flight and a later launch by Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne.
Exolaunch signed a memorandum of understanding with Virgin Orbit on 2019-04-11 to send satellites into space as early as 2020 on LauncherOne dedicated and rideshare missions.
Virgin Orbit performed its first LauncherOne captive carry flight in November 2018.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne is designed to send payloads of up to 500 kg into orbit from rockets air-launched from a 747 carrier aircraft.
Vox Space is the U.S.-incorporated subsidiary of Virgin Orbit that is developing the LauncherOne air-launch system.
Vox Space will conduct one of the five launches using Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket, which is air-launched from a Boeing 747 mothership.
OneWeb anticipated launching around 150 satellites in 2019 using four or five Soyuz rockets and potentially Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne.
OneWeb is counting on one or more Ariane 6 launches plus multiple Virgin Orbit LauncherOne missions to complete its constellation by 2021.
Virgin Orbit has a contract for 39 missions using the LauncherOne air-launched rocket.
Virgin Orbit developed the LauncherOne satellite launch vehicle that is deployed from a Boeing 747 aircraft.
Cloud Constellation signed a memorandum of understanding with Virgin Orbit in 2017 for 12 dedicated LauncherOne missions to orbit its constellation.
Virgin Orbit projects the first orbital flight of LauncherOne to take place in early 2019.
Virgin Orbit developed a vehicle called LauncherOne that is air-launched from a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.