Stratolaunch LLC and Rocket Lab USA Inc. are among the buyers for assets of Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc., the bankrupt space-launch company tied to billionaire Richard Branson.
Virgin Orbit will sell its modified Boeing 747, known as Cosmic Girl, to Stratolaunch for $17 million after no better bids emerged, according to bankruptcy court papers filed Tuesday. Meanwhile, Rocket Lab USA is buying Virgin Orbit’s primary rocket factory in California for $16.1 million.
The piecemeal sale indicates no adequate bids emerged for the whole of Virgin Orbit during an auction. Launcher Inc. is set to buy a test facility for $2.7 million, court papers show. Vast Space announced a deal recently to acquire Launcher.