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June 30 (UPI) -- Launch company Virgin Orbit sent seven satellites into space on Wednesday from a rocket carried by a jet plane over the Pacific Ocean. The Cosmic Girl jet, a modified 747, took off at 9:53 a.m. EDT from Mojave Air and Space Port about 90 miles north of Los Angeles.
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Just under an hour later, the LauncherOne rocket dropped from the wing of the jet. Seconds after release, the rocket thrusters fired and launched into orbit. Cameras on the rocket showed blue and white sky becoming black with the Earth in the background.
It was the second successful orbital mission for California-based Virgin Orbit.
"She's capable of lifting up to 300 kilograms or 650 pounds to low Earth orbit," Wade McEroy, chief of staff for Virgin Orbit subsidiary Vox Space, said of the rocket in a live broadcast.
The first stage of the rocket burns for about three minutes before the second stage fires and carries the payloads for about six minutes.
On board are four small national security spacecraft for the U.S. Department of Defense, two STORK Earth observation satellites for Poland-based space company SatRevolution and the first small satellite for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, BRIK II, which will provide military communication and navigation.
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit plans to livestream the mission, which is named Tubular Bells Part One after his company Virgin Records' first album, Tubular Bells in 1973.
