Virgin Orbit Delays the Launch of the First Rocket to Space from British Land, This is the Cause

LauncherOne, a rocket from Virgin Orbit. (photo: twitter @VirginOrbit)

JAKARTA – British space company, Virgin Orbit, is forced to re-target its rocket launch which should be carried out as early as next week from Cornwall, England. If it does it will be the first space flight to depart from British soil.

In a statement, Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart said the company would retarget the launch over the "next weeks". In addition to the remaining technical work and outstanding launch licenses, Hart said the limited two-day launch window also led Virgin to delay the mission. He did not specify what technical work was required for flight readiness.

Just hours after the announcement was made, the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the regulatory body that launches the licenses, released its own statement rebuking Virgin's claims that lingering regulatory issues were partly the reason for the mission's delay.

"The UK's aerospace regulatory process is not a hindrance to UK space launches," said Tim Johnson, CAA's Director of Aerospace Regulations, as quoted by TechCrunch. “Virgin Orbit has said in a statement this morning that there are several technical issues that need to be resolved before launch. This has absolutely nothing to do with the timing of when the license will be issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.”

Virgin Orbit is scheduled to launch from Spaceport Cornwall on December 14. LauncherOne, Virgin's launch system, consists of a Boeing 747 and a rocket. The aircraft carries the rocket to a certain height in space before releasing it on its journey into space, so while this is not the first vertical launch from British soil, it will be the UK's first spaceflight mission.

The news was taken as something of a shock; by Tuesday, December 13th, Virgin representatives notify the news media that the mission will be "on the move" following regulatory approval.