Festival atmosphere as Cornwall prepares for historic space launch | Void

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There was a festive atmosphere at Cornwall Airport in Newquay on Monday afternoon as more than 2,000 space fans began arriving to watch a historic rocket launch.

As long as there are no last-minute technical hitches and the weather is behaving in Britain’s far southwest, a converted Boeing 747 will take off from Cornwall spaceport, fly across the Atlantic and launch a rocket that will propel nine satellites inland. Void.

Virgin Orbit’s Start Me Up mission on Monday night will be the first satellite launch from British soil, and will be heralded as the start of a new space age for the UK.

Speaking of a more realistic mode of transport – the Devon double-decker bus but with a great view across the 747 – Ian Annette, executive vice-president of the British Space Agency: “We’re all green at the moment but of course there are a number of gremlins that could track you down at the last minute.” .

“We watch the weather closely but one of the advantages of a horizontal launch is that you can get past the weather quickly. It looks like it’s okay for later.”

Members of the public picked up tickets to watch the plane take off within hours of their release.

Given that the mission is named after a Rolling Stones song, it seemed appropriate that the event had the trappings of a music festival.

There were food stalls and a merchandise stand selling beanies, T-shirts and even a Cornish Spaceport-branded belly pad (£75). Viewers can take selfies in front of a replica of the LauncherOne rocket that will launch the satellites into orbit.

There was a big screen keeping track of the mission – a staple of any modern festival – a VIP section with leather armchairs. Plus a marquee with silent disco, which is a handy way to stay warm.

Visitors at the inaugural spaceport launch from Newquay Airport in Cornwall. Photograph: Johnny Weeks/The Guardian

Spectators should see the aircraft, piloted by Sqn Ldr Matthew Stannard, an RAF test pilot, take off from the runway of the space port and fly over the Atlantic towards Ireland.

About an hour after liftoff, the rocket will separate at an altitude of 10,700 meters (35,000 feet). It will fall for a few seconds before flaring up and shooting south, gathering speed and altitude as it passes Portugal and the Canary Islands.

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At around 1.30am on Tuesday, Virgin Orbit mission controllers – and the crowd – should know if the rocket successfully launched satellites into orbit.

Among those with satellites on board are the British Ministry of Defense, Oman, the US National Reconnaissance Office and British start-ups including Welsh company SpaceForge which is developing reusable satellites.

If all goes well, it will be a victory for North Cornwall, which has faced skepticism over the years that such a mission could be launched from an area more associated with surfing than with space adventures.

Melissa Thorpe, president of Spaceport Cornwall, which is based on a corner of the commercial airport, said: “I hope people feel a little inspired, a little aspirational, and feel proud of the way we’re representing Cornwall going for the stars. There’s a lot of doom and gloom out there. It’s Exciting, different, it’s also a bit of an underdog story.”

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