A rocket has taken off into space in the first ever orbital space mission to launch from UK soil. Several satellites were blasted into space from Cornwall Airport near Newquay as part of the Start Me Up mission on Monday night (January 9).
Named in tribute to The Rolling Stones’ 1981 hit, the mission involves a repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 aircraft and Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket. The 747, dubbed Cosmic Girl, took off horizontally from the new facility while carrying the rocket.
As the Start Me Up mission lifted off the runway at around 10pm, hundreds of people watching the launch cheered and Start Me Up was blasted out on loudspeakers.
