Intombazana yeCosmic ikhupha iLauncherOnye phakathi komoya okokuqala ngqa ngexesha lovavanyo luka-Julayi 2019.I-Orbit yeNtombi Iinkampani zasemajukujukwini zilungiselela unyaka omtsha opakishwe yimishini kunye novavanyo. Emva kokuba iSpaceX isungule umgaqo wayo wokuqala we-Falcon 9 kulo nyaka ngoLwesine, kule mpelaveki yeQela laseVirgin 'isahlulo se-satellite, iVirgin Orbit, iya kubhabha irocket LauncherOne yayo kwilinge lesibini lokuthumela i-spacecraft kumjikelezo woMhlaba.
I-mission, eyaziwa ngokuba yi-Launch Demo 2, icwangciselwe ukuphakamisa phakathi kwe-1 kunye ne-5 ntambama Uhambo NgeCawe ukusuka eMojave Air kunye neZibuko laseMazantsi e-California
Ungawubukela umsinga ophilayo wobufundisi kwi Qalisa iwebhusayithi yeDemo .
Njengenkampani yokhenketho ye-Virgin Group, Intombi eyiGalactic , IVirgin Orbit isebenzisa inkqubo ekhethekileyo yokumiliselwa komoya ukuthumela iziphekepheke kwi-orbit. Ngexesha lokuSungulwa kweDemo 2, inqwelomoya ye-Boeing 747 eguquliweyo, ebizwa ngokuba yiCosmic Girl, izakusuka kwindawo yokubaleka enezigaba ezibini zeLauncherOne booster phantsi kwephiko elinye. Nje ukuba bafike kubude obumalunga neenyawo ezingama-35,000 (i-10,700 yeemitha), i-Boeing iya kwahluka kwi-LauncherOne, eya kuthi iyitshise eyayo injini kwaye ijonge kwi-orbit. Le ndlela ibonelela ngokuguquguquka ngakumbi kunamashishini amiselweyo okuseta ngokuthe nkqo, itshilo inkampani.
Inkqubo yokumiliselwa komoya inokuthwala iisathelayithi ezinobunzima obungama-500 eekhilogram (i-1,100 yeepawundi). I-rocket ye-LauncherOne kwindiza yangeCawa iza kuthwala iityhubhu ezincinci ezili-10 ezibhabha ngenkqubo ye-NASA yoQeqesho lweNanosatellites.
Inzame yokuqala yeVirgin Orbit yokuvavanya ukubhabha iLauncherOne yenzekile Ngomhla we-2020 . Ngexesha lovavanyo (Qalisa iDemo 1), i-booster yahlulwe ngempumelelo kwiCosmic Girl kwindawo ephakanyisiweyo yaza yakhupha inqanaba lokuqala lenjini. Kodwa i-mission yahluthwa ngaphambi kokufikelela kwi-orbit ngenxa ye-propellant line ephula kungekudala emva kokuba kuqala ukutshiswa kwesigaba sokuqala.
Uvavanyo lukaMeyi aluzange luphathe naziphi na iisathelayithi ezisebenzayo.
Ukuqalisa iDemo 2 kwasekuqaleni kwakucwangciselwe ukuphela kukaDisemba. IVirgin Orbit kuye kwafuneka ihlehlise uvavanyo emva kokumiselwa kwamalungiselelo ngaphambi kokumiliselwa kwinyanga ephelileyo ngenxa yokuqiniswa kweenkqubo zokhuselo ukuphendula ukwanda kwamatyala e-COVID-19 eCalifornia.
Iqela lethu libetha emhlabeni libaleka ngo-2021! Ifestile yenkqubo yethu yokuSungula iDemo 2 ivula ngeCawa, nge-10 kaJanuwari, ngamathuba okuphehlelela ngoJanuwari. pic.twitter.com/bfdotzTSyc
-I-Virgin Orbit (@VirginOrbit) NgoJanuwari 5, 2021
Kule veki izayo, ukuqaliswa kwesathelayithi kunye nerokethi, iRocket Lab, iya kuphehlelela nomsebenzi wayo wokuqala wonyaka, obizwa ngokuba yi-One One Leaves the Crust, kunye nerokethi yayo encinci enokuphinda isebenze, i-Electron, evela kwindawo yenkampani yaseNew Zealand.
Ngo-Novemba, iRocket Rock yabuyisa ngempumelelo inqanaba lokuqala lerokhethi ye-Electron, ephawula inqanaba eliphambili kwicebo lenkampani lokuthengisa iirokethi ezinokusetyenzwa kwakhona.
