Virgin Orbit developed the LauncherOne rocket for air-launching satellites from a modified Boeing 747. The company used an aircraft named Cosmic Girl to carry the rocket to high altitude before releasing it for a rocket-powered ascent.
LauncherOne’s first successful orbital mission, called Demo 2 or “Launch Demo 2,” occurred in January 2021. It deployed ten NASA-sponsored CubeSats into orbit after launching from Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
Air-launching can provide flexibility in launch location and avoids some atmospheric drag during the early part of ascent. However, it does not eliminate the need for a powerful rocket and introduces aircraft, release, and mission-planning complexities.
Virgin Orbit was separate from Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic focused on suborbital human spaceflight, while Virgin Orbit focused on small satellite launches. Virgin Orbit ceased operations in 2023 after entering bankruptcy proceedings.