Virgin Orbit Opens Launch Window For ‘Above The Clouds’

The launch window for Virgin Orbit’s third commercial flight,Above the Clouds, opens this Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The spacecraft to be launched to Low Earth Orbit at500 km circular orbit at 45 degrees inclination for this mission includes satellites for the US Department of Defense’s Space Test Program, Polish company SatRevolution, and Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR). 

Virgin Orbit’s team is currently progressing through the final pre-flight checklist as they work towards the opening of a launch window on January 12. Anticipated take-off times on January 12 range between approximately 1pm and 3:30pm Pacific (21:00 – 23:30 GMT), with rocket drop and ignition expected to occur roughly one hour after take-off. Virgin Orbit will proceed to launch if all conditions are nominal. Backup windows extend through January.  

This week’s launch takes place on the heels of successful commercial launches that placed 19 satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit also recently listed publicly and rang the opening bell on the NASDAQ stock exchange on Friday, January 7, 2022, at Nasdaq in Times Square. Virgin Orbit is now trading as VORB.