VORB - Virgin Orbit preps for very first orbital space launch from U.K.

Virgin Orbit Holdings ( NASDAQ: VORB ) announced that its latest rocket has completed a full launch rehearsal and is now ready for flight.

The window for the company’s next launch will be determined by the launch permitting regulatory process. The launch will be the first orbital space launch from the U.K.

VORB said the rehearsal marked the final major acceptance test of the rocket prior to mating to its carrier aircraft and beginning pre-launch operations. Meanwhile, integration of customer satellites into the rocket’s fairing is expected to begin this week in the newly inaugurated Space Systems Integration Facility at Spaceport Cornwall.

The company's most recent rocket completed its full wet dress rehearsal on October 2, three months after the successful launch of its Straight Up mission. Of note, the reduction of nearly half of the time required between the company’s previous missions, along with a significant decrease in the cost of manufacturing, is said to continue the trend of VORB's rapid evolution into a higher operational cadence.

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