The Virgin Orbit space company's first international launch will see a jumbo jet take off from the runway of Newquay Airport, before launching seven satellites into space.
At the far southwestern tip of England, dangling into the Atlantic, the remote region of Cornwall rarely feels like the center of the world.
Marc Andrew, from nearby Newquay, traveled to the spaceport after work to see the aircraft land this week. A former passenger jumbo jet in service with Virgin Atlantic until 2015, it has been modified to carry LauncherOne, a California-made rocket which will go into the Earth's orbit.Next month, Cosmic Girl will take off from Newquay's clifftop runway with LauncherOne under its wing -- and once the 747 hits 34,000 feet, it'll release the rocket.
The event will be the first orbital space launch for the UK and the first international launch for Virgin Orbit, according to the company. It'll also be Europe's first satellite launch, according to Ian Annett, deputy CEO at the UK Space Agency.LauncherOne completed its first full launch rehearsal in Long Beach, California, on October 2, before being flown to the UK last Friday to meet Cosmic Girl, which arrived in Cornwall on October 11.
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