Though launching rockets from 8 miles up to reach low earth
orbit has been done before, could the Virgin Orbit’s satellite launching system
the “cheapest” way to do it?
By: Ringo Bones
Virgin Orbit is a spin-off of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic
and had been operated independently by its CEO Dan Hart since 2017. Their
satellite launch system consists of a modified Boeing 747 christened as Cosmic
Girl that could launch a two-stage rocket christened LauncherOne that could
launch a new generation of micro-satellites into low Earth orbit after the
Cosmic Girl launch plane reaches 39,000-feet. A series of test launches had
been done, but the most recent one back in May 25, 2020 ended in failure. But
despite of the setbacks, it could be considered a miracle that Virgin Orbit
still exists as a commercial entity back in May 2020 because since the COVID 19
pandemic lockdown, it was feared that the satellite launching company will be
closed – citing reasons that it is no longer economically viable. Despite of
this, is Virgin Orbit’s satellite launching system the most energy efficient
and therefore cheapest way to launch commercial payloads into low Earth orbit?
The first ever manned hypersonic experimental aircraft – the
X-15 – was launched in a similar manner by being flown to 39,000 feet via a
modified Boeing B-52 Stratofortress that was christened as “The High And Mighty
One” during the latter half of the 1950s. And its scores of test pilots of this
program includes astronaut Neil Armstrong whose flight took them to altitudes
that borders the region of the point marking the start of orbital space.
From a physics standpoint, Cosmic Girl’s 39,000-foot head
start off the ground is not that much of a help in terms of fuel savings and
energy conservation because the modified 747 does not have much upward velocity
considering its 600-mph top speed. The launch vehicle – i.e. the LauncherOne
rocket – still needs to accelerate to a speed of 18,000-mph to make the
satellite achieve a stable orbit around the Earth.
The greatest advantage of Virgin Orbit’s launch system is
that this allows the modified 747 known as Cosmic Girl to be essentially a mobile
launchpad, enabling the flexibility of offering rocket launches from many more
locations. If there is a thunderstorm, the jet can fly around or over it. And by
flying over the ocean immediately reduces the risk of people below if the
rocket explodes. The two-stage LauncherOne can lift up to 1,100-pounds to low
Earth Orbit. Only smaller satellites can fit within the rocket’s four foot wide
payload section. Using this method to launch a typical micro-satellite via
Virgin Orbit will set you back 12-million US dollars.
