Britain’s Groundbreaking Satellite Launch Ends in Failure

Britain’s attempt to become the first European nation to launch satellites into space ended in bitter disappointment early on Tuesday when Virgin Orbit said its rocket had suffered an anomaly that prevented it from reaching orbit.

The “horizontal launch” mission had left from the coastal town of Newquay in southwest England, with Virgin’s LauncherOne rocket carried under the wing of a modified Boeing 747 called “Cosmic Girl”, and later released over the Atlantic Ocean. “We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit,” the company said. “We are evaluating the information.” The failure deals a further blow to European space ambitions after an Italian-built Vega-C rocket mission failed after lift-off from French Guiana in late December.