Britain's groundbreaking satellite launch ends in failure

Virgin Orbit had initially said on Twitter that LauncherOne had reached earth orbit, a tweet it later deleted. A replica model of Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket sits in a media area ahead of UK's First launch at Newquay Airport in Newquay, Britain, January 8, 2023. People watch Britain's first satellite launch on a screen, at Cornwall Airport Newquay, in Cornwall, Britain January 9, 2023. Photo: Reuters Mission failure A mission failure would be the second in Virgin Orbit's history since its first launch in 2020. People watch Britain's first satellite launch on a screen, at Cornwall Airport Newquay, in Cornwall, Britain January 9, 2023.