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. | ||
Virgin Orbit is the company spun off from Virgin Galactic to develop and operate the LauncherOne air-launch system.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne is designed for missions between 300 and 500 kg.
Virgin Orbit is developing a vehicle called LauncherOne that will be air-launched from a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.
Virgin Orbit performed its first captive carry flight of the LauncherOne air-launch system on 2018-11-18.
Virgin Orbit projected the first orbital flight of LauncherOne to take place in early 2019 with multiple trips to orbit planned in the year ahead.
Virgin Orbit is developing the LauncherOne air-launch system and is preparing for captive carry test flights ahead of an initial launch late 2018 or early next year.
Cornwall Airport Newquay signed an agreement with Virgin Orbit at Farnborough that could lead to LauncherOne missions flying from Cornwall Airport Newquay.
LauncherOne is scheduled to conduct its first military mission in 2019 as part of the DoD Space Test Program overseen by the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.
Virgin Orbit will require minimal resources to operate from Spaceport Cornwall, primarily ground equipment to support LauncherOne preparations and its Boeing 747 carrier aircraft.
Virgin Orbit plans to begin LauncherOne launches later 2018 from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
Virgin Orbit signed an agreement with officials from Cornwall on 2018-07-16 to enable LauncherOne missions flown out of Cornwall Airport Newquay (Spaceport Cornwall).
On 2018-07-06, Virgin Orbit signed a memorandum of understanding with Italian company Sitael that could lead to LauncherOne missions from Taranto-Grottaglie Airport in southern Italy despite no timetable being set.
An agreement to be signed 2018-07-16 could enable LauncherOne missions to fly from Spaceport Cornwall by 2021.
Cornwall Airport Newquay is entering a partnership with Virgin Orbit that could allow Virgin Orbit’s air-launched LauncherOne system to operate from Spaceport Cornwall.
A detailed plan to support LauncherOne launches from Spaceport Cornwall, including licensing the airport as a spaceport, will be developed after the partnership agreement is signed.
The FAA issued the license on 2018-06-29 for the first launch of the air-launch system using the LauncherOne rocket flown from a customized Boeing 747 that takes off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
Virgin Orbit received a Federal Aviation Administration license for the first launch of its LauncherOne vehicle on 2018-06-29.
LauncherOne is designed to carry small payloads with a capacity of 300 kg to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
On 2018-06-27 Virgin Orbit planned a captive carry test of its LauncherOne air-launch rocket as the next major milestone before the vehicle’s first launch later that summer.
The captive carry test will involve the Boeing 747 taking off with the LauncherOne rocket attached to its wing but not launched.