The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority stated on Wednesday that it issued the final remaining licenses to space company Virgin Orbit to proceed with the first satellite launch from the country's soil.
"Today we are one step closer to opening the UK’s galactic gateway, with Virgin Orbit receiving a historic first license to allow the UK’s first ever spaceflight launch," Transport Secretary Mark Harper declared, going on to add that the planned takeoff reinforces the UK's "position as a leading space nation."
The mission called "Start Me Up" will launch from Spaceport Cornwall, with a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet carrying a rocket to be flown and released in a designated launch location over the Atlantic Ocean.
