Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl is towed out to the runway ahead of the company's cryogenic captive carry flight last April.

N744VG (c/n 32745) Cosmic Girl takes to the skies above the Mojave desert in the USA, but the 747-400 steed for LauncherOne’s proposed horizontal launch is scheduled to take off from UK soil in 2022

The 747 pitches up at 35° to drop LauncherOne

Испытательный сброс ракеты 10 июля 2019 г.
17 января 2021г. компания Virgin Orbit, принадлежащая британскому миллиардеру Ричарду Бренсону (Richard Branson), провела успешный запуск космической ракеты-носителя LauncherOne методом воздушного старта со специально модернизированного самолета Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747-400).
Boeing 747-400 Cosmic Girl N744VG (c/n 32745) Cosmic Girl drops an inert LauncherOne during the first drop test of the launch system above the Mojave Desert.

Cosmic Girl surrounded by transportable ground support equipment

Two of Virgin Orbits four pilots, Kelly Latimer (left) and Todd Ericson, in Cosmic Girl’s cockpit

Launch engineers monitor data during a test