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. | ||
Spaceport Cornwall must obtain a license from the Civil Aviation Authority to host Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system.
LauncherOne can take up to 300 kg to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
Virgin Orbit plans upgrades to increase LauncherOne capacity to about 350 kg by the end of 2023.
LauncherOne is an air-launch system consisting of a rocket deployed from a Boeing 747 aircraft.
Virgin Orbit is considering a LauncherTwo rocket mounted on top of the Boeing 747 fuselage that could offer three times the performance of LauncherOne.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne commercial U.K. launches will deploy payloads from Spaceport Cornwall using a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.
Virgin Orbit will send nine multinational rideshare payloads to orbit using the LauncherOne small launch vehicle and a modified Boeing 747 aircraft later in 2022.
Virgin Orbit averaged $2,500,000 in revenue per launch across its first three operational LauncherOne launches.
Virgin Orbit expects to launch QPS-SAR-5 on LauncherOne into a tailored, mid-inclination orbit to expand iQPS’s constellation coverage and revisit rate.
Virgin Orbit will fly nine payloads to orbit using the LauncherOne small launch vehicle deployed from a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California and are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft.
ForgeStar-0 will launch on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne this summer from Spaceport Cornwall.
Virgin Orbit will launch Amber-1 on its LauncherOne vehicle from Spaceport Cornwall on a flight 2022 that is expected to be the first ever orbital launch from a United Kingdom spaceport.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system is air-launched from an airplane that releases the rocket from an altitude of 10,0 m while traveling at about 600 km per hour.
The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) signed a letter of intent with Virgin Orbit to use the company’s air-launched LauncherOne system as soon as next year.
Virgin Orbit planned a first LauncherOne mission from Oita that could take place as soon as 2023.
Oita Airport reached an agreement with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to host Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne air-launch system.
The October 2021 Memorandum of Understanding established cooperation to design, manufacture, and launch the first Omani satellite manufactured by SatRevolution onboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne.
The first Omani satellite was planned to launch on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne from Spaceport Cornwall in the United Kingdom in 2022.
After release from the aircraft, LauncherOne ignited and deployed its payload into a target orbit approximately 500 km above the Earth with a 45-degree inclination.