Virgin Orbit announced the launch window for Virgin Orbit's third commercial flight, Above the Clouds, opens this Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The spacecraft to be launched to Low Earth Orbit at 500 km circular orbit at 45 degrees inclination for this mission includes satellites for the US Department of Defense's Space Test Program, Polish company SatRevolution, and Spire Global, Inc. Virgin Orbit's team is currently progressing through the final pre-flight checklist as they work towards the opening of a launch window on January 12. Anticipated take-off times on January 12 range between approximately 1pm and 3:30pm Pacific (21:00 – 23:30 GMT), with rocket drop and ignition expected to occur roughly one hour after take-off.

Virgin Orbit will proceed to launch if all conditions are nominal. Backup windows extend through January. This week's launch takes place on the heels of successful commercial launches that placed 19 satellites into orbit.

Launch Details: Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl will take off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The plane will travel approximately 1 hour out to sea before releasing the rocket just off the Pacific coast. This mission will use a slightly different drop point than Virgin Orbit's prior flights, flying farther to the West before dropping the rocket to allow the satellites aboard to reach an orbital inclination that has never before been reached from the West Coast of the Americas.