January 10, 2023 11.09 am This story is over 24 months old

Blow for RAF Coningsby pilot as historic satellite launch fails to reach orbit

The pilot successfully launched, but an anomaly stopped the satellites reaching orbit

By Local Democracy Reporter

A historic attempt to launch satellites into orbit from British soil for the first time ever fell short of the mark on Monday evening, piloted by an RAF Coningsby squadron leader.

Monday evening marked a bold attempt to make Britain a big player in space expedition once again, as Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit company used a repurposed 747 jumbo jet called Cosmic Girl to release a rocket called LauncherOne over the Atlantic and take nine satellites above the Earth.

It is the first ever orbital space launch from Great Britain, and RAF Coningsby Squadron Leader Matthew Stannard was chosen as the lead pilot in the carrier plane for the mission.

Portrait of Flight Lieutenant Mathew Stannard in front of a 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron Typhoon in a Hardened Aircraft Shelter at 3 (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby. | Photo: UK MOD Crown Copyright

Taking off from the runway at Spaceport Cornwall by Newquay Airport, the jet successfully made the air and travelled to the designated zone without hiccups.

The carrier aircraft piloted by Stannard was also successful in releasing the rocket, which ignited its engines and managed to reach space, but at some point during the firing of the rocket’s second stage, an anomaly was experienced.

This ended the mission prematurely, and left a sinking feeling for all involved, who had been so close to marking a momentous occasion in British space travel history.

Sqn Ldr Stannard completed each stage of his task with precision and efficiency, guiding the carrier plane off the runway to its correct location and launching the first rocket without any issues.

The anomaly is yet to be identified by Virgin Orbit, but the team have recognised that it took place during the firing of the rocket’s second stage engine, while travelling at a speed of more than 11,000 miles per hour.

It was the fifth Virgin Orbit LauncherOne mission to take place, with the other four being successful in America, and despite this mission not quite achieving what it was supposed to, the company says there’s plenty to be proud of.

https://twitter.com/VirginOrbit/status/1612563807603249155?s=20&t=-GqC6f_HQSsFSroTScCgVw

Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit CEO, said: “While we are very proud of the many things that we successfully achieved as part of this mission, we are mindful that we failed to provide our customers with the launch service they deserve.

“The first-time nature of this mission added layers of complexity that our team professionally managed through; however, in the end a technical failure appears to have prevented us from delivering the final orbit.

“We will work tirelessly to understand the nature of the failure, make corrective actions, and return to orbit as soon as we have completed a full investigation and mission assurance process.”

Melissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall, added: “We are so incredibly proud of everything we have achieved with our partners and friends across the space industry here in the UK and in the US – we made it to space – a UK first.

“Unfortunately we learned that Virgin Orbit experienced an anomaly which means we didn’t achieve a successful mission. Today we inspired millions, and we will continue to look to inspire millions more.

“Not just with our ambition but also with our fortitude. Yes, space is hard, but we are only just getting started.”