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Virgin Orbit's first orbital launch from the UK failed due to a $100 component issue.
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The launch, known as "Start Me Up" mission, took place on January 9th and initially seemed to go smoothly.
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The company reported a successful stage separation, but the rocket did not reach orbit as planned.
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The LauncherOne rocket was carrying payloads from seven customers, including government entities.
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A full investigation was promised by Virgin Orbit to determine the root cause of the anomaly.
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Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart revealed that evidence points to a filter in the rocket's second stage engine getting dislodged as the cause.
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Hart confirmed that Virgin Orbit is no longer going to use that filter and is looking for potential fixes.
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The investigation is ongoing but Hart is confident in the findings so far.
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Another UK launch is planned for later this year by Virgin Orbit.
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The company's first launch failure was caused by a relatively inexpensive part.