Virgin Galactic Will Now Use Boeing 747s to Launch Rockets, Satellites

Virgin Galactic, the space flight company of famed Sir Richard Branson, has announced that it will launch satellites from a repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The Boeing will be used to lift rockets to around 40,000 feet and act as a launch platform for satellites.

The plane, named "Cosmic Girl" will become the dedicated launch vehicle for Virgin Galactic's LauncherOne small satellite launch business. Galactic will continue to keep the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft as the mothership for SpaceShipTwo.

The Boeing will carry the LauncherOne rocket by mounting it under the left wing, a space usually reserved for a fifth engine. At a specified height, it will then release the rocket, letting the rocket orient and launch itself into orbit. As Wired UK notes, the plane "would have the performance characteristics to hit the payload and orbit sweet-spots in demand for rapid, flexible, dedicated and cost effective small satellite launch."

The use of the 747-400 would allow cheaper launches compared to other systems. The goal is to be able to offer reliable access to space, regardless of weather conditions, for fees that are lower than average. It would offer 200kg launches to 'Sun-Synchronous Orbit; for under $10 million, with options up to around 400kg to other orbits.

George Whiteside, Virgin Galactic CEO, explains the logic behind the Boeing.

"Air launch enables us to provide rapid, responsive service to our satellite customers on a schedule set by their business and operational needs, rather than the constraints of national launch ranges. Selecting the 747 airframe provides a dedicated platform that gives us the capacity to substantially increase our payload to orbit with increasing our prices."

Virgin Galactic isn't the first, or only, company to work on sending payloads into orbit. Orbital ATK has its Orbital Pegasus, launched in 1993, which was used to send the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph SMEX into orbit in 2013. While

SpaceX was awarded a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract in 2006 to resupply cargo to the International Space Station.  

This also isn't the first time the 747 has been used outside of its original intended use either. It has also supported NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft program, the Space Shuttle Enterprise test flight program, and the flight test of the X-45 'Phantom Ray.' Along with its operational flexibility, years of existing 747-400 experience, and long range, among other qualities, the plane is touted as the optimal aircraft for the LauncherOne.

Currently there are no details for LauncherOne's inaugural flight. However, SpaceNews has reported that Virgin Galactic expects to enter orbital testing by 2017.

The service will also be a separate venture from Virgin Galactic's proposed commercial spaceflight enterprise, with operations still in development. Its SpaceShipTwo had a fatal crash in October 2014, but the company has announced a new spaceship would be unveiled February 2016.