Cosmic Girl | Boeing 747-400 | Virgin Orbit | Only vehicle

Cosmic Girl - Virgin Orbit

With the growth in technology, a lot of things are getting smaller and simple. This includes artificial satellites too. They are launched into the the space for a vast variety of uses. It is used to make discovery in space, establish communications worldwide, check temperatures to give weather information, etc. Launching rockets for these satellites to their orbits required a lot of fuel to propel them into the space.

Cosmic Girl in Action

There is a company which was clever to launch their rocket in a unique way. The company is called 'Virgin'. It has a lot of subsidiaries which provide a wide range of services to their customers today. It was established in 1970 by businessmen Richard Branson and Nik Powell. In the subsidiaries of the company, there is one called 'Virgin Atlantic', which is an airline.

Virgin Group Logo

Virgin Atlantic Logo

Virgin Orbit Logo

Virgin Atlantic had leased Boeing 747-400's used in their fleet. One of the aircraft was later bought by the Virgin Group and gained retrofitting and was transferred to 'Virgin Orbit', another of the company's subsidiary.

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400

The aircraft was nicknamed 'Cosmic Girl'. Virgin used this aircraft to launch satellites in to the space. The addition of the pylon to hold the satellite was one of the retrofits. The aircraft had it's seats, bins, galleys and toilets removed to save a lot of weight. The launching rocket was fixed on the pylon. Cosmic Girl carried it to the desired altitude.

Cosmic Girl carrying the rocket in the pylon under the left wing

Richard Branson visiting the interior of Cosmic Girl

At such high altitudes (about 35,000 feet), as pressures get low, the liquid fuel inside the rocket exerts more pressure than the atmospheric pressure. This causes the liquid fuel to break free from its chamber and react with the solid fuel causing a chemical reaction between the both producing thrust. This thrust helped the rocket to break free from the pylon.

Rocket launched by Cosmic Girl travelling on its own thrust

At this time, the aircraft aligns itself to the place where the satellite is to be placed in orbit. Then, the rocket detaches from the pylon reaching space finally. This is the mechanism behind the working of this project. The pylon for attaching the rocket is located under the left wing. So, this means the rocket gives additional weight on the left side of the aircraft. Virgin Orbit used specially trained pilots for this project. Taxi and take-off tests of Cosmic Girl with the rocket were successful.

Taxi Test of Cosmic Girl

This project has many advantages. The idea itself is a clever one in the first place. This helps to save fuel and time as Cosmic Girl gives a head-start for the rocket to reach its orbit. This cuts down the cost for maintaining a large team and launch pad for rocket-launching. However, it will not be able to launch heavy rockets such as that having a telescope with it. It is designed for only small rockets with minimal weight.

This project has opened a whole new way of thinking about the ways of launching satellites in to space. It was a unique approach to launch rockets using a 747. Did you know that there was a 747 which traveled from New York to London in just 4 hours and 56 minutes, click here to find out about it.

Great Mechanics Of Boeing 747-400:

This last discovery is probably the foremost necessary consider the understanding of the why and wherefore of flight. 

It means that whereas at tiny angles any increase within the angle at that the device strikes the air can lead to a rise in lift, once an explicit angle is reached any more increase of angle can lead to a loss of elevate. 

This angle is termed the stall angle of the device, and, rather curiously, perhaps, we discover that the form of the device makes very little distinction to the angle at that this stall takes place, though it's going to have an effect on significantly the number of elevate obtained from the device at that angle. 

Now, what's the reason for this relatively fulminate breakdown of lift? the scholar are well suggested to require the first accessible chance of look, or making an attempt for himself, some easy experiment to examine what happens. 

Although, naturally, the most effective demonstration may be given in wind tunnels with correct equipment for the aim, perfectly satisfactory experiments may be created by victimization paper or picket model aerofoils and inserting them in any fairly steady flow of air or water, or moving them through air or water. 

The movement of the fluid is stressed by introducing wool streamers or cigaret smoke within the case of air and colored streams within the case of water. 

Contrary to what could be expected, the relative speed at that the device moves through the fluid makes little or no difference to the angle at that stall takes place; if truth be told, associate degree device stalls at an explicit angle, not at an explicit speed. (It isn't correct to speak regarding the stall speed of associate degree device, however it'll be seen during a later chapter why we have a tendency to observe the stall speed of associate degree aeroplane). 

currently what happens? whereas the angle at that the device strikes the fluid is comparatively tiny, the fluid is deflected by the device, and therefore the flow is of a contour and steady nature ; however suddenly, when the angle of incidence of regarding fifteen degree is reached, there's a whole modification within the nature of the flow. 

The flowing breaks away or separates from the highest surface forming vortices like those behind a flat plate placed at right angles to the wind; there's thus little or no elevate. 

Some experiments truly show that the fluid that has flowed below the underneath surface doubles back around the edge and issue to flow forward over the side.