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LauncherOne failure sparks Virgin Orbit financial woes

The LauncherOne rocket being prepared for launch.
The LauncherOne rocket being prepared for launch. Photo: Virgin Orbit

Had Start Me Up been successful, it would’ve been the first orbital launch from British soil. Instead, it threw Virgin Orbit’s investors into a tizzy. Earlier this month, the Richard Branson-founded company furloughed its employees, but a $200 million investment deal with a Texas billionaire could save Virgin Orbit from bankruptcy.