First satellite launch from UK. Sort of!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Blighty
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: There and here
I always find it fascinating how launches are timed and oriented so as not to come close to any other celestial object, or debris during the launch or orbiting phases.I realise there's a lot of space around the earth, but there's also a staggeringly large amount of orbiting devices.Let's hope that it goes to plan and successfully.
See and avoid
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: USA
https://australianaviation.com.au/20...ocket-from-uk/
”…it works because the 747 has a little known capacity to attach a fifth engine, enabling it to carry a rocket…”
Virgin Orbit’s 747 has taken off from Cornwall in the UK as it prepares to fire a rocket into space carrying small satellites.
Joined: May 2021
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From: An Island
Ooops, not in space? https://www.theguardian.com/science/...-from-cornwall
Joined: Jun 2021
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From: By the Cathedral just outside Syerston circuit.
Ooops, not in space? https://www.theguardian.com/science/...-from-cornwall
I hope they were insured.
Won’t have done their future business much good either.
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Hawaii Island
Quite frankly, the live broadcast was embarrassing. This is the point where things started to go wrong -
- and yet no one commented on it other than saying telemetry would get lost from time to time as they switch tracking stations. At this point, the speed goes to 0 mph, which probably means the sensor is not working but the altitude keeps dropping in a quite consistent manner (there are a couple of nonsense readings, but the trend is clear). At that moment, I hoped it was some weird live broadcast issue, but the consistent drop in altitude pointed to a failure IMO. The commentators declined to even mention this at the time. It was only later when the Virgin team announced there was an "anomaly" that we knew for certain it had failed, but the evidence had been there for quite a while.
In the meantime, much of the stream seemed to consist of listening to an open microphone. It was a very disappointing performance.
PS. I put a time stamp in the YouTube video but it's not working for me when I click it, it starts the video at the start of the live stream. Go to about 1:59:00 to avoid the less relevant stuff.
In the meantime, much of the stream seemed to consist of listening to an open microphone. It was a very disappointing performance.
PS. I put a time stamp in the YouTube video but it's not working for me when I click it, it starts the video at the start of the live stream. Go to about 1:59:00 to avoid the less relevant stuff.
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: troposphere
I have to agree. The whole broadcast was amateurish and very poorly presented.
Hopefully, a new rocket will be built, new satellites will be built and they'll try again soon.
Hopefully, a new rocket will be built, new satellites will be built and they'll try again soon.
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: La Rochelle.
Rockets crash. They'll find out why, fix it and have another go.
However, the PR and live feed was way past embarrassing, it was painful to watch and unfortunately, just as bad as the proceeding ones when they launched in the US. Someone in that organisation is allowing amateurish and cringeworthy 'broadcasts' to be made. I know we knock journalists but if ever an organisation was crying out for at least one to anchor the coverage, this is it. Grant Schapps was introduced by some marketing kid who basically said, 'So minister, what would you like to tell us this evening?' An invitation he enthusiastically accepted. The coverage was hopeless, full of open mic errors and just simply incorrect. It was bizarre to watch BBC and Sky journalists parroting the bloke on the live feed about cold and hot passes before launch when he didn't know what was going on either. In solemn tones he told us, 'The launch will come at the end of the next pass....and there is a camera view of the rocket (white glare on screen)...and we are now climbing to altitude..' Eh...what about the hot pass? What about the countdown? By the time the poor feller realised the launch had taken place, the aircraft was halfway back to Cornwall. Then, as we watch the telemetry showing the rocket hurtling off into space...for twenty seconds or so before rapidly going to 990,000 feet then dropping to 500,000ft and then going into a sulk at 200,000 with no speed data, our hero continues to prattle on about burns and BBQ rolls (?) coasting and so on. Then it goes quiet for 30 minutes before an announcement of an 'Anomaly'. No s**t, Sherlock...
However, the PR and live feed was way past embarrassing, it was painful to watch and unfortunately, just as bad as the proceeding ones when they launched in the US. Someone in that organisation is allowing amateurish and cringeworthy 'broadcasts' to be made. I know we knock journalists but if ever an organisation was crying out for at least one to anchor the coverage, this is it. Grant Schapps was introduced by some marketing kid who basically said, 'So minister, what would you like to tell us this evening?' An invitation he enthusiastically accepted. The coverage was hopeless, full of open mic errors and just simply incorrect. It was bizarre to watch BBC and Sky journalists parroting the bloke on the live feed about cold and hot passes before launch when he didn't know what was going on either. In solemn tones he told us, 'The launch will come at the end of the next pass....and there is a camera view of the rocket (white glare on screen)...and we are now climbing to altitude..' Eh...what about the hot pass? What about the countdown? By the time the poor feller realised the launch had taken place, the aircraft was halfway back to Cornwall. Then, as we watch the telemetry showing the rocket hurtling off into space...for twenty seconds or so before rapidly going to 990,000 feet then dropping to 500,000ft and then going into a sulk at 200,000 with no speed data, our hero continues to prattle on about burns and BBQ rolls (?) coasting and so on. Then it goes quiet for 30 minutes before an announcement of an 'Anomaly'. No s**t, Sherlock...
Last edited by clareprop; 10th January 2023 at 08:34.
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Hawaii Island
No, the rocket was not reusable, nor were any of the satellites on it, and quite frankly, they fell into the middle of the Atlantic, so good luck finding them.
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Hawaii Island
I think clareprop nailed it, and we seem to agree on a number of issues. Rockets crash, especially at the beginning of a project when people are learning how to get things into orbit. On the other hand, the completely amateurish live broadcast made it look as though the project was designed and understood by a bunch of Homer Simpson clones. While the rocket was crashing you heard some government minister saying how wonderful this event was for the UK on an open mic. This was Graham Taylor-type stupidity and made me hold my head in my hands. I'm proud of the UK but this was just horrible to watch.
Joined: Jun 2021
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From: By the Cathedral just outside Syerston circuit.
Branson’s usually 1st in front of the cameras when there’s a chance of further publicity for anything related to Virgin.
I noted his absence when they tried this risky venture.
After the loss of the ‘Orbiter’ , perhaps he’s learned to keep away until things are established & working.
I noted his absence when they tried this risky venture.
After the loss of the ‘Orbiter’ , perhaps he’s learned to keep away until things are established & working.