Virgin Orbit Successfully Launches 7 Satellites Into Orbit

A view from outside of the plane carrying the Virgin Orbit rockets, before the plane drops the rocket, on Jan. 13, 2022. Courtesy of Virgin Orbit via AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

LOS ANGELES—A Virgin Orbit rocket released from a jet flying off the California coast carried seven small satellites into space on Thursday as the company kicked off a year in which it plans to ramp up the pace of launches, including two originating from Britain.

Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 took off from Mojave Air & Space Port in the Southern California desert, flew out over the Pacific Ocean, and dropped the LauncherOne rocket from its left wing.