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, in a planned business combination with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ: NGCA), entered into a memorandum of understanding with ANA HOLDINGS, INC. to procure 20 flights of the LauncherOne rocket.
Under the memorandum of understanding, Virgin Orbit will lead efforts to provide funds and support for LauncherOne orbital missions to launch from Oita Prefecture in Japan.
Virgin Orbit uses a Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft to carry LauncherOne rockets to an altitude of about 45,0 m and release them.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a final environmental assessment on 2021-08-27 that found no significant impact for Virgin Orbit to conduct launches from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam using a Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft and LauncherOne rocket.
The Federal Aviation Administration released its final environmental assessment on 2021-08-27 finding no significant impact for Virgin Orbit to conduct launches using its Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft and LauncherOne rocket from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
LauncherOne is an air-launched rocket deployed from a Boeing 747.
The majority of Virgin Orbit’s projected revenue through 2026 would come from its current launch business using the LauncherOne rocket.
Virgin Orbit plans to allocate about 40% of the proceeds of the deal toward scaling up production of the LauncherOne system, including investments in advanced manufacturing capabilities.
Virgin Orbit’s current launch business uses the LauncherOne rocket that is air-launched from a Boeing 747.
The DiskSat design is based on the payload volume of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket but can be modified for larger vehicles like Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne.
Virgin Orbit operates the air-launch LauncherOne system, which features a two-stage rocket launched from a Boeing 747 aircraft.
LauncherOne rockets are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft.
VOX Space provides small satellite launch services to the U.S. government using Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne.
Two Missile Defense Agency cubesats launched 2021-06-30 aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne successfully began communicating with ground stations by 2021-07-12.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne is air-launched from a Boeing 747 aircraft.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne launch vehicle was carried by the modified Boeing 747 Cosmic Girl and released at 7:47 AM (PT) over the Pacific Ocean.
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne successfully launched seven cubesats on 2021-06-30.
Virgin Orbit completed its readiness review and set a LauncherOne launch window for 2021-06-30 from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. PDT, with the Tubular Bells: Part One mission GO for launch.
At 09:50 PST, Cosmic Girl took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California with the 70-foot LauncherOne rocket affixed to the underside of the jet’s left wing.
The first LauncherOne mission failed to reach orbit in May 2020 because of a ruptured propellant line.