About the Mission

Following the team’s successful orbital launch demonstration in January 2021, Tubular Bells: Part One marked the operational debut of Virgin Orbit’s launch service.

During this mission, LauncherOne successfully carried a total of 7 satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO): four R&D CubeSats for the US Department of Defense, two optical satellites for SatRevolution, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s first military satellite. 

Tubular Bells: Part One was named after the first track on Mike Oldfield’s 1973 record Tubular Bells, the album that inspired Richard Branson to create Virgin Records and the first ever released by the label.

Read the official press release of the launch event.

Launch Details

Timing

Takeoff for Virgin Orbit’s Tubular Bells: Part One mission occurred at approximately 6:50 AM Pacific (1:50 PM UTC) on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021.

Launch Site

Mojave Air and Space Port
Mojave, California
USA

Orbit

500km Low Earth Orbit (LEO), 60 degrees inclination