Sir Richard Branson has announced that a 747 jumbo jet will be put in service to be used as a launchpad for the company’s Launcher One satellite. The 747 will carry the satellite to high altitude where it will be released to go into orbit.
https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/672515731221712896/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2OT8Fvo1zw
The plane, which was nicknamed Cosmic Girl, was part of Virgin Atlantic’s fleet, and will be now used under Virgin Galactic’s arm, the company that is promising to send tourists on a low Earth orbit.
Air launch enables us to provide rapid, responsive service to our satellite customers on a schedule set by their business and operational needs, rather than the constraints of national launch ranges, George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive officer, said in a statement Thursday.
Virgin expects to begin test flights of its LauncherOne rocket in 2017. It will be mounted under the 747’s left wing.
