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. | ||
The rocket for the 2023-01-09 LauncherOne mission was deployed from a Boeing 747 aircraft and completed a first stage burn as planned.
Virgin Orbit completed four consecutive successful LauncherOne launches from Mojave Air and Space Port between January 2021 and July 2022.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are air-launched from the wing of a converted Boeing 747-400 aircraft named Cosmic Girl.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California.
Virgin Orbit will deploy payloads to a precise, targeted orbit using its LauncherOne system.
Virgin Orbit will use its LauncherOne system to deploy payloads into a precise, targeted orbit for the mid-2023 mission.
Spire Global will use LauncherOne to deliver satellites to a variety of orbits, including mid-inclination and polar orbits, from Virgin Orbit’s first spaceport in Mojave, California.
Cosmic Girl, Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 that carries the LauncherOne rocket, will soon take off from Spaceport Cornwall to deliver the two Prometheus-2 satellites into Earth orbit.
Prometheus-2 Cosmic Girl is Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 that carries the LauncherOne rocket and will take off from Spaceport Cornwall to deliver two Prometheus-2 satellites into Earth orbit.
The National Reconnaissance Office is partnering with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to launch the Prometheus-2 mission on a Virgin Orbit LauncherOne rocket later in 2022.
One reusable component of the LauncherOne system is the Boeing 747 aircraft that Virgin Orbit uses as the air-launch platform.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system moved from development into operations after achieving four consecutive successful launches dating back to early 2021.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne service launches rockets from a carrier aircraft that can take off from any runway and does not require fixed launch infrastructure.
LauncherOne uses a modified Boeing 747 aircraft that carries a two-stage rocket under its wing.
Virgin Orbit, a U.S. company, planned to perform an orbital LauncherOne mission from Spaceport Cornwall as soon as September 2022.
Space Systems Command and Virgin Orbit National Systems successfully air-launched seven Department of Defense research and development satellites for the U.S. Space Force on LauncherOne after taking off on 2022-07-01 from Mojave Air and Space Port, California.
LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured by Virgin Orbit in Long Beach, California and are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft called Cosmic Girl.
The LauncherOne rocket entered an initial transfer orbit, coasted for 45 minutes, fired its upper stage engine again, and deployed its payloads into a 500-kilometer orbit inclined at 45 degrees.
Virgin Orbit air-launches its LauncherOne rockets from a modified Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft to enable operations from locations worldwide.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California.