Advertisement Third time's a charm, as the saying goes, and it seems that's certainly true for Virgin Orbit. Richard Branson's private space firm successfully tested its air-launched rocket this weekend, following two failed attempts last year. The rocket, called LauncherOne, reached space for the first time on Sunday, delivering 10 Nasa satellites to orbit and achieving a key milestone for the company. Previous launches were aborted in May 2020 due to engine trouble, and in December due to a surge in coronavirus cases. The rocket, called LauncherOne, reached space for the first time on Sunday, delivering ten Nasa satellites to orbit and achieving a key milestone for the company