First ever orbital space launch in Europe takes off from Cornwall

Thousands descended on Newquay in Cornwall to see a modified Boeing 747 take off from Newquay airport.

It will release a rocket at around 35,000 feet over the Atlantic which will place nine satellites high above the Earth.

The Virgin Orbit launch is the first launch of orbital satellites into space from western Europe.

The mission, which set off from Cornwall shortly after 10pm, marks a major milestone for UK spaceport efforts.

Virgin Orbit, part-owned by billionaire Richard Branson, had previously said the plane was expected to take off as late as 11pm.

“Assuming that everything continues to look good we’re currently tracking well for launch,” a Virgin Orbit spokeswoman said beforehand.

Melissa Thorpe, who heads up Spaceport Cornwall, told the BBC: “What we’ve seen over the last eight years is this building of excitement towards something very aspirational and different for Cornwall, something that started off as a project that not a lot of people really believed was ever going to happen.

“What I think people have seen here in Cornwall is a small team that lives and breathes this county deliver something quite incredible.”

Enthusiasts with tickets watched the event from a viewing area across the runway, with live-stream showing progress from a big screen post-launch.

The space launch, on a 747 dubbed Cosmic Girl in tribute to the Rolling Stones’ 1981 hit, had been due to take place before Christmas, but had to be pushed back to 2023 over regulatory issues.

Speaking on Sunday, Ian Annett, deputy chief executive at the UK Space Agency, said: “Who would not be excited by the fact this is the first time that it has been done in Europe? That’s because it’s hard.”

The satellites will have a mix of applications, ranging from ocean monitoring to navigation technology.