MISSION NAME
Straight Up
Status
Success
DATE
2 JUL 2022
LAUNCH PROVIDER
Virgin Orbit
Launch Pad
Mojave Air and Space Port
Description
Launch contracted by the U.S. Space Force for the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP), with payloads provided by the DoD Space Test Program (STP) as part of the Space Force’s STP-28A mission. It will carry seven satellites from multiple government agencies that are experiments intended to demonstrate novel modular satellite bus, space domain awareness, and adaptive radio frequency technologies. The target orbit is approximately 500 km above the Earth’s surface at 45 degrees inclination.
LauncherOne
Rocket Description
LauncherOne is a two stage orbital launch vehicle developed by Virgin Orbit since 2007. It is an air launch to orbit rocket, designed to launch "smallsat" payloads of 300 kilograms (660 lb) into a Sun-synchronous orbit, following air launch from a carrier aircraft at high altitude.