The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that Spaceport Cornwall, in Newquay, can be used for sending satellites into space, paving the way for the launch of the LauncherOne rocket into space.
The launch will see Virgin Orbit’s jumbo, known as Cosmic Girl, carrying LauncherOne, to an altitude of approximately 35,000ft (10km) and then dropping it. Once released into the atmosphere, the LauncherOne rocket will accelerate to 8,000mph (12,875km/h) before deploying seven satellites into orbit with a variety of civil and defence applications.
The jumbo – a repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 aircraft – recently travelled from California in the US to Spaceport Cornwall, and is expected to lift off in the coming weeks.
CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty described the awarding of the first spaceport licence in the UK as “a historic moment”.
“We’re proud to be playing our part in facilitating the UK’s space ambitions through assessing the safety,...