UK space accident body to oversee investigation into Cornwall launch

The UK's Space Accident Investigation Authority is going to work alongside its US counterparts to oversee the investigation into the failed Virgin Orbit rocket launch from Cornwall.

It says it will work alongside the Federal Aviation Administration to "ensure that any relevant safety lessons are learnt".

The organisations will oversee Virgin Orbit's investigation.

The Virgin Orbit plane took off successfully from Spaceport Cornwall on Monday night, and flew to 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean, where it jettisoned the LauncherOne rocket containing nine small satellites towards space.

But organisers of the Start Me Up mission soon identified what they called an "anomaly" during the firing of the rocket's second stage engine, meaning it failed to reach orbit.

Virgin Orbit has said it hopes to return to Spaceport Cornwall for new launches as early as later this year.

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