Boeing 747 used in mission from Cornwall successfully released rocket before ‘anomaly’ was reported
A historic space mission that took off fromhas ended in huge disappointment after a rocket carrying the first satellites launched from British soil failed to reach orbit.
The company tweeted: “LauncherOne has … successfully reached Earth orbit! Our mission isn’t over yet, but our congratulations to the people of the UK! This is already the first-ever orbital mission from British soil – an enormous achievement.” Back in Cornwall spectators did a “conga” dance around a replica of the rocket at the perimeter of the spaceport while up to 75,000 people watched a livestream of the flight.
LauncherOne did what is known as a “barbecue roll” to make sure neither side got too hot. The satellites, none bigger than a washing machine, were due to be released from LauncherOne around an hour later. Among the spectators who watched as the plane took off to the sounds of crowds cheering and the Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up blaring over the speakers was Felix Gatfield, 14, who runs a YouTube channel about space and missed his mock exams – and his usual bedtime – to attend. He said: “It’s a real moment for the UK space industry. It’s amazing being so close.”
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