It had been hoped the flight would take place in the summer, then the autumn, but it is now looking likely that the mission will not go ahead until December.Īsked if it was definitely going to happen, Ian Annett, the deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency, replied: “Of course.” He said the licensing process was “immensely complex” as this was something that was being done for the first time in the UK but insisted: “We’re on track to deliver a launch in 2022, which has always been our objective.”ĭan Hart, the CEO of Virgin Orbit, the company leading the mission, said it was about providing a service to the customers who want their satellites in orbit but also about opening up a “gateway to space” in Cornwall. The mission – codenamed operation Start Me Up after the Rolling Stones hit – is still waiting for the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to grant the licence that will allow it to fly with the rocket and satellites. The weather is not the only stumbling block. ![]() Behind the scenes where the rocket is being prepped with satellites.
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