The first-ever launch of space satellites from the territory of the UK, which was produced by the Californian company Virgin Orbit, ended in failure, according to the Air Force.. The exact reasons for the failure of the mission are not called..

A modified Boeing-747 with a two-stage LauncherOne rocket attached under the left wing took off from the airport in Cornwall at about 00:00 on January 10, Kyiv time. About an hour after takeoff, the plane fired a rocket over the Atlantic Ocean at an altitude of about 10.5 kilometers.. Shortly after the separation of the first stage, Virgin Orbit announced an "

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Nine satellites that she was supposed to put into orbit were lost. The Boeing-747 Cosmic Girl aircraft from which the launch took place returned safely to base.

The mission was an important milestone in the development of the UK space industry, as it was supposed to initiate launches from the country. It was also supposed to turn the United Kingdom into a global player that will work in different directions, from the creation of satellites and rockets to the construction of spaceports..

UK Space Agency Deputy Director General Ian Annette said it showed "

Shares of Virgin Orbit plunge 30% after news of launch failure, CNBC notes.

The company is owned by Richard Branson, in 2017 he spun it off from his other company, Virgin Galactic.. The first test launch of LauncherOne from an aircraft ended in failure, but after Virgin Orbit was able to make four successful launches in 2021-2022. The company believes that the use of aircraft for launch can be much cheaper compared to traditional launches from spaceports..