NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Transporting satellites, even SmallSats, to space is expensive. One way to reduce launch costs for SmallSats is to include them as secondary payloads on larger launch vehicles. The drawback of that method is that the primary payloads take precedence when scheduling flights, with SmallSat operators losing flexibility when determining deployment times.
Virgin Orbit is one of many companies taking another approach to serving the SmallSat market by developing a lightweight launch vehicle. Although it is unclear if satellite operators can support multiple types of launch options, the market for small satellites continues to grow rapidly. New uses and business plans continue to be developed, and all these satellites need ways to get to orbit. There will likely be a place for both rideshare options and lightweight launch vehicles as long as the SmallSat market continues to grow.
The three primary lightweight launch competitors will be Rocket Lab, Vector Space Systems, and Virgin Orbit. They will be joined by others, such as Firefly and Relativity Space. Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic (which renamed its satellite launch subsidiary Virgin Orbit in 2017) is one of the oldest companies in the group, although it did not introduce a launch vehicle until 2012. Before that time, Virgin focused on carrying human passengers to space.
Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne is slightly more expensive than Rocket Lab's Electron. However, Virgin Orbit is backed by the wealthy Richard Branson, meaning development and marketing will be well funded. Branson will also use his connections to benefit LauncherOne (e.g., turning his investment in OneWeb into business for Virgin Galactic).
LauncherOne production will grow steadily for several years following the rocket's first flight in 2018 as the market for SmallSats continues to increase.
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