Pioneering UK space launch collapses as rocket fails to reach orbit

A pioneering British area launch appeared to finish in failure after Virgin Orbit stated an “anomaly” had prevented its rocket from reaching orbit.

A modified jumbo jet referred to as “Cosmic Girl” carried a Virgin Orbit rocket from Cornwall in southwestern England and launched it from over the Atlantic Ocean, marking the primary try to launch satellites into orbit from Western Europe.

But the area mission then hit technical difficulties, the Reuters news company reviews.

A pioneering UK area mission appeared to have failed when Virgin Orbit stated an “anomaly” had prevented its rocket from reaching orbit. (Getty)

“We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit,” Virgin Orbit stated.

“We are evaluating the information.”

The mission, which noticed the rocket try to take 9 small satellites for combined civil and defence use into orbit, was the primary worldwide launch for Virgin Orbit, based by British billionaire Richard Branson.

Since January 2021, the corporate has carried out 4 profitable launches from the Mojave desert in California.

The firm has additionally skilled one earlier failure. Virgin Orbit’s first launch try out of California in May 2020 failed due to an engine challenge.

Virgin Orbit’s “Cosmic Girl” plane and crew did return safely to the bottom after Monday’s launch, the corporate confirmed on its livestream.