# Virgin making first space flight Sun the 24th
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 21, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214 "2020-05-21T00:12:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214/1 "2020-05-21T00:12:46Z")
they are launching from a 747 rather than the ground.
> **[Virgin Orbit sets first orbital launch for May 24](https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/20/virgin-orbit-sets-first-orbital-launch-for-may-24/)**
>
> Virgin Orbit has been preparing for this moment for years, but it’s now officially ready to launch its small satellite delivery vehicle to orbit for the first time. This key demonstration mission, taking off from Mojave Air and Space Port in...
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214/2 "2020-05-25T23:36:48Z")
[Update](https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-first-rocket-launch-failure.html): Virgin suffers performance issues, doesn’t get it up. Cosmic Girl goes home.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2020, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214/3 "2020-05-26T08:51:04Z")
I totally misunderstood the thread title.
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### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2020, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214/4 "2020-05-26T10:57:06Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#):
>
> [Update](https://www.space.com/virgin-orbit-first-rocket-launch-failure.html): Virgin suffers performance issues, doesn’t get it up. Cosmic Girl goes home.
Cosmic Girl reassures Virgin that it’s nothing to get upset about; these things happen:
The main goal of today’s flight, both men stressed, was to gather as much data as possible about the various Cosmic Girl and LauncherOne systems so that both can be assessed and tweaked as needed going forward.
“We see the data as the product …”
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### Author:  [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2020, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214/5 "2020-05-27T08:24:41Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> I totally misunderstood the thread title.
Me too.
Isn’t this The Assumption of Mary?
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### Author:  [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2020, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virgin-making-first-space-flight-sun-the-24th/854214/6 "2020-05-27T09:25:47Z")
_Everybody_ fails their first jump. Er, launch.
I must admit, of all the newspace companies, I understand Virgin just about the least. At least among those that aren’t a complete joke.
SpaceX: Not really even newspace any more. Obviously they’ve been wildly successful.
Rocketlab: Solid little launcher, already carved out a niche and has the significant advantage that they’re _flying_. Also aims to be a one-stop-shop for smallsats, including a tiny third stage.
Blue Origin: Bezos’ pet project. Can’t really complain about a nerd with an 12-digit net worth throwing a few bucks toward a space program.
Firefly: Substantially larger payload than Rocketlab, though definitely still small. So, maybe can carve out a new niche here.
Virgin Orbit: Not much more payload than Electron. Maybe some advantage in air launch? Seems weak.
Not that I have a problem with lots of companies in this space, but I’m sure that most aren’t going to last very long (some have already gone bankrupt at least once). SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocketlab will survive. Maaaybe there’s room for one more, but I’m skeptical even of that. And once Starship is flying, all bets are off.