Since our first Launch Demo back in May, we've been working hard every day to return to flight with gusto and confidence. Seven months ago, we set a goal to conduct our next demo mission with LauncherOne before the end of the year — and today, we remain right on track to hit that goal. 

We're very excited to announce that the launch window for our Launch Demo 2 mission opens on Saturday, December 19th, with a backup window on Sunday, December 20th. Each day, we'll have an opportunity to launch between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM Pacific. 

On this flight, for the first time, we'll be carrying several customer payloads onboard LauncherOne. We're immensely grateful to our friends at NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) and NASA’s Launch Services Program (NASA LSP) for what has been an amazing collaborative effort. NASA created VCLS to foster the development of new commercial launch capabilities, and working with them has helped us prove out our grand plans for bringing Virgin’s heritage of customer service to the realm of satellite launch. 

As you can imagine, with our full system now out on the tarmac at Mojave Air and Space Port, we're incredibly excited to be on the cusp of launching again. There's still a bit of work for us to do before our launch window arrives, namely wet dress rehearsals — but that's expected to go about as smoothly as our other recent milestones. You can read more about our ongoing activities and what comes next in our latest blog.

On launch day, like before, we'll share real-time updates on Twitter as the mission progresses so you won't miss a thing: @Virgin_Orbit. In the meantime, keep an eye out for more updates from our team as we check off our last few to-dos before we fly. 

Mission managers are the tip of the spear driving satellite missions forward from initial ideation and contracting all the way through to launch. It's a big job ensuring all the right pieces fall into place, requiring solid skills in both business management and engineering — not to mention the ability to work across a variety of teams, systems and technical disciplines. 

Recently, we sat down to catch up with the two Mission Managers who led the charge on organizing our Launch Demo 2 mission: Scott Higginbotham, a long-time space vet based at NASA LSP, and Virgin Orbit's Director of Mission Management Jeff Kwong.

Working closely together as two halves of the same coin, Jeff and Scott have been instrumental in aligning both teams throughout the pre-launch process. Check out our Q&A with each to learn more about their story and their thoughts on the significance of this mission in the broader context of the evolving space industry. 
 

New year, new opportunities! Are you itching for a change as 2021 approaches? If so, you're in luck – the Virgin Orbit team is looking to expand our talented team across a range of departments. Whether you're a skilled engineer, a business maverick, an accounting whiz or whatever else, it's likely we have the perfect role for you to fill. 

Check out our Careers page to see what positions are available and where your strengths can shine. You can even apply for consideration for future roles, and we'll hang on to your resume 'til the time is right. 

Come join the team opening space for good!