Virgin Orbit space rocket is launched over Pacific
RAF pilot Mathew Stannard is in the cockpit of a jumbo jet that has launched a rocket to space from out over the Pacific Ocean.

An RAF pilot has helped launch a rocket into space from over the Pacific Ocean.
Flight Lieutenant Mathew āStannyā Stannard, who is seconded to Sir Richard Bransonās satellite launch company Virgin Orbit is part of a crew which took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California for the launch on Thursday evening.
He helped work the controls of the rocket under the companyās LauncherOne system which was released from a modified Boeing 747-400 named Cosmic Girl.
Just before 11pm Virgin Orbit confirmed on a livestream that āLauncherOne is in spaceā.
Virgin Orbit tweeted: āLooks like we made it Above the Clouds and on our way to Orbit. Itās a beauty up here!ā
They added: āBlue has gone to black. LauncherOne is in space.ā
Flt Lt Stannard, a Typhoon pilot with one of the RAFās test and evaluation squadrons, is part of a crew on Cosmic Girl alongside chief pilot Eric Bippert, who has over 1,000 hours of experience in test flights, plus launch engineers Sarah Barnes and Bryce Schaefer.
Their role was toĀ monitor data from the aircraft and the rocket from their stations on the upper deck.
Virgin Orbit tweeted āNow weāre soaringā after the take off for the journey of about an hour to the Pacific Ocean drop pointĀ where LauncherOne will be released to begin powered flight to orbit.
Sir Richard Branson said he was āexcitedā and āslightly nervousā after watching the take off.
He said: āYou can never be sure in these early flights whether every mission is going to be successful, (I am) just on the edge of my seat.
āIt is incredible what the whole team has accomplished.
āIt is always incredible to be watching and a great privilege.ā
Sir Richard said: āI think that the people who question space exploration, they just donāt realise how much it offers to mankind back here on Earth. One of our satellites that is going up today will be monitoring agriculture and crops around the world.
āIt is that wonderful diversity of different organisations and different companies that have got brilliant ideas to try to use space to better things here on Earth.ā
Virgin Orbit has said the missionās name, Above The Clouds, pays homage to hip hop group Gang Starrās 1998 album Moment Of Truth, on which the song Above The Clouds features the lyrics: āAbove the clouds, where the sounds are original ā infinite skills create miracles.ā
The rocket hasĀ seven satellites, including some from the US Department of Defence experimenting in space-based communications.
The mission is the third for Sir Richardās company ā the LauncherOne system has previously launched 19 satellites.
In the Above The Clouds mission, one satellite has been made in Glasgow by Spire Global, a data analytics company involved in tracking weather patterns.
Flt Lt Stannardās return to the RAF should help boost the UKās understanding of the military uses of small satellites, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The airman, who graduated from RAF officer training in May 2007, has amassed more than 1,000 hours on Tornados during multiple combat tours.
Flt Lt Stannard said at the time of his secondment in 2019 that ābeing involved in Virgin Orbitās space programme is a truly unique opportunityā.
He added: āThis programme is pushing the boundaries of our understanding of space so itās a real privilege to be part of it and Iām looking forward to bringing the skills and knowledge I gain back to the RAF.ā