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Virgin Orbit targets Sunday for LauncherOne mission from California

Posted in biotech/medical, satellites

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 15 (UPI) — Virgin Orbit plans to try again Sunday to send 10 small science satellites for NASA and several universities into orbit using a rocket launched over the Pacific Ocean.

The mission is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. PST when Virgin’s Cosmic Girl aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, takes off from Mojave Air and Space Port 90 miles north of Los Angeles. The plane carries the LauncherOne rocket under its wing.

The company created a three-hour window for potential last-minute delays. Virgin scrubbed an attempt in December when employees entered quarantine because of COVID-19 exposure. The company also delayed the launch from last week.

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