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Sir Richard Branson-backed bid to launch rocket from Cornwall pushed back again

Virgin Orbit rocket launching from Cornwall - AFP
Virgin Orbit rocket launching from Cornwall - AFP

Britain’s first rocket launch from a spaceport in Cornwall has had its blast off date pushed back to November as it awaits approval from UK regulators.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit was previously due to launch a rocket from Newquay’s Spaceport Cornwall in September, but The Telegraph has learned that launch partners have been told the first rocket may not lift off until November.

The mission has still not received the green light from the Civil Aviation Authority, which regulates Britain’s rocket launches.

Executives at the space port had originally hoped for a launch over the summer to coincide with the Jubilee.

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The landmark launch would be the first orbital mission ever from British soil and would come 50 years after a British-made rocket, Black Arrow, last reached space.

A Virgin Orbit spokesman said the company still expected to complete the launch by the end of December, within its proposed launch window.

Earlier regulatory filings had cited September 29 as the “primary date” for a launch.

A Virgin Orbit spokesperson said: “Virgin Orbit continues to work through our regular launch operations on time with the needs of the mission in enthusiastic anticipation of a major industry milestone: the first-ever space launch from the UK.

“Virgin Orbit's launch vehicle readiness remains on track, and there has been no recent change to the projected launch date window.

“We are continuing to work with our excellent mission partners at CAA, Spaceport Cornwall and UK Space Agency as well as our customers to ensure we remain on track for the Q4 launch we have anticipated.”

Virgin Orbit plans to fly a modified Boeing 747, nicknamed Cosmic Girl, from Newquay’s converted airstrip over the Atlantic Ocean at a height of 37,000 feet, before firing its LauncherOne rocket from under its wing which then blasts into space.

Sir Richard’s rocket company is plotting more than a dozen launches from Spaceport Cornwall over the next decade. Since its rockets are dropped from under the wing of a converted commercial airliner, they can use conventional runways as their base of operations.

Delays to rocket launches are not uncommon due to weather impacts and regulatory red tape. While it has completed four successful rocket missions, Virgin Orbit's planned July launch from Mojave Spaceport in California was postponed by three days due to problems with the coolant temperature in its rocket.

The company is planning multiple launches over the coming months in an increasingly cramped schedule in addition to the Cornwall launch, including three more from Mojave in California.

The Cornish mission will launch satellites for the UK Ministry of Defence, orbital factory company Space Forge and data satellites from Oxford start-up Open Cosmos.

On Wednesday, Open Cosmos said the UK mission would be part of its plans to launch 25 data-gathering satellites. Its satellites will provide earth observation technology for governments and agencies for monitoring natural disasters, climate change and activities such as illegal mining and deforestation from space.

Creating a sovereign rocket capability for the UK was hailed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year as part of plans to create a “Galactic Britain” and supercharge the UK’s £16bn space industry. Rival efforts to Cornwall’s space port are underway in Scotland and the Shetland islands.

Separately, Elon Musk has said he is seeking an exemption from US sanctions to bring Starlink’s satellite broadband service to Iran.

In response to a question on whether Starlink will launch in Iran on Twitter, Mr Musk said: “Starlink will ask for an exemption to Iranian sanctions in this regard.”

Starlink is launching a network of thousands of satellites to provide broadband to remote areas and already has 3,000 satellites in orbit.

A spokesman for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “As the UK’s space regulator, we continue to assess all licence applications and these are issued subject to the applicant meeting several regulatory requirements.”