The other day, Virgin Orbit announced that the test site for the first satellites from an airplane Oita Airport in Japan (Koshu Island). This could be a disappointment for the UK government, which is investing money in this project with the expectation of creating a national satellite launch system based on the airport in Cornwall.
The airport in Oita has been selected by Virgin Orbit with a view to establishing a center for aerial launches of satellites (microsatellites) in Southeast Asia. Obviously there will be more money there than in “good old England”. At the same time, the “air launch” system implies a flexible approach to the satellite launch site, since the launch pad in the form of a modified Boeing 747-400 “Cosmic Girl” airliner can be transferred to any point in the world.
Virgin Orbit's partners at Oita Airport will be local companies affiliated with ANA Holdings and the Space Port Japan Association. It is expected that cooperation will lead to the emergence of an integrated structure with civil aviation services, which will create new markets associated with the expansion of demand for microsatellites. It seems that soon every self-respecting company will not be able to live without its companion.
As for the first launches of the LauncherOne carrier rocket from the Boeing 747-400, it is expected in 2022. At the moment, according to the company, "the project is at an advanced stage of testing, and the first orbital launches are expected in the near future."
The Boeing 747-400 "Cosmic Girl" aircraft is supposed to lift the 21-meter LauncherOne rocket with a payload on board to a height of over 9 km, after which the rocket will separate, start its own engine and go into space. This scheme promises to reduce the cost of launching small satellites into orbit.
Source: 3dnews.ru