The Spaceport Cornwall team has been ramping up preparations for the UK’s first satellite launch this summer.

From back in Cornwall they mirrored Virgin Orbit’s mission operations of its latest launch from the Mojave spaceport in California, the last from the US before the much-anticipated first launch from Newquay.

Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall, said: “The success of this last launch in California is extremely rewarding for Spaceport Cornwall and the UK space sector. It was amazing to see both the team from Virgin Orbit and our team working together to mirror the US operations in real-time – ensuring we’re mission-ready for the summer.

“This gave us a taste of what is to come and our team could not be more excited.”

The first launch this summer will carry multiple payloads of innovative satellite technology into Lower Earth Orbit (LEO). The mission from Cornwall will see the first ever satellite launched by the Sultanate of Oman focused on Earth Observation; future-facing return satellite tech aboard Wales’ first satellite, built by Space Forge; a Maritime monitoring payload built by Horizon Technologies and the Satellite Applications Catapult; as well satellites from the MOD, DSTL and US National Reconnaissance Office.