UK's First-Ever Rocket Mission Suffers Anomaly, Ends In Failure

The UK's first-ever attempt to launch a rocket from its soil could not achieve desired results after the satellites failed to reach the orbit.

UK maiden attempt to launch rocket from soil ends in failure

Source : Getty Images

The United Kingdom's attempt to launch the first rocket from its soil ended in failure after the rocket carrying nine satellites failed to reach orbit.

The carrier company Virgin Orbit mentioned the developments in a series of tweets. After the rocket reached space, Virgin Orbit tweeted, "We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information."

We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information.

— Virgin Orbit (@VirginOrbit) January 9, 2023

According to BBC, the Virgin Orbit system is relatively new and it's only been in operation since 2020. It suffered a failure on its maiden outing but this was followed up by four successful flights, the report added.

As per the latest information from Virgin Orbit, the rocket has safely been taken back to the Cornwall Spaceport with the flight crew.

#CosmicGirl has returned safely back to @SpaceCornwall with our flight crew.

— Virgin Orbit (@VirginOrbit) January 10, 2023

UK's satellites are sent through foreign spaceports and it was its first-ever attempt to launch a rocket from its land. Had it been successful, the UK would have been one of only nine countries that could launch spacecraft into Earth's orbit.

According to BBC, the mission had been billed as a major milestone for UK space, marking the birth of a home-grown launch industry. The ambition is to turn the country into a global player - from manufacturing satellites, to building rockets and creating new spaceports.

Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency, Ian Annett said it shows "how difficult" getting into orbit actually is - but predicted further launches within the next 12 months. "We get up, we go back, we try again, that's what defines us," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Speaking with BBC television before the launch, Spaceport Cornwall chief Melissa Thorpe said, "Joining that really exclusive club of launch nations is so important because it gives us our own access to space... that we've never had before here in the UK."

The satellites that the rocket was carrying, were to have a variety of civil and defence functions, from sea monitoring to help countries detect people smugglers to space weather observation.