How Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Went Bankrupt | WSJ What Went Wrong

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit has failed to take off after being deemed a promising satellite-launch startup. The business made a big bet on using Boeing 747s to launch satellites into space, but that bet hasn’t paid off.
The company filed for bankruptcy in April, after launch issues and a changing satellite market caught up with it. WSJ explains what led to the Virgin Galactic spinoff’s collapse.
0:00 Virgin Orbit’s big bet on launching satellites from airborne 747s
0:44 Background on Branson’s Virgin Galactic
3:04 Virgin Orbit spins off of Virgin Galactic
5:14 Virgin Orbit’s downfall
What Went Wrong explores the challenging conditions and decisions that led to a company's downturn.
#VirginOrbit #RichardBranson #WSJ

[@TrungNguyen-uf8cv]

As small launch companies moving to heavier launchers. This company's design is doomed from the start

[@peaceleader7315]

What happened, Richard....? Do you need help..?

[@saasmarketing]

This goes to show that even the most seasoned of entrepreneurs still have failures. No matter the success or the failure, we must keep learning and moving forward.

[@dingopisscreek]

and no doubt wasting millions of dollars on rockets that blow up - if that's a good way to spend money then you have a different view on it than i do

[@Flyinghigh888]

Space exploration must be done by state power, this is not any entrepreneurs can afford the spending. Elon will be doomed like him as well!

[@Chi-town1369]

They wasted so much money They would buy the most over by expensive material that had limited shelf life, enough to build say 8 rockets and then they would only bud 2 or 3 and would just eat the cost of tossing out the materials they over bought And 2 launches a year back to back is no good

[@IbnBahtuta]

facepalm

[@simonm1528]

They worked out space ain't real! Very difficult to recover from billions of $ n years of research that turns out to be completely false.

[@chrisgray4239]

Sorry it didn't work out Richard, keep going

[@dingopisscreek]

eventually he will realise he is just wasting his time and money

[@1ndragunawan]

3:44 400M for a small rocket. For comparison, Falcon Heavy development cost was more than 500M, and that's a heavy rocket.

[@CSAdityaHoon]

even if that amount given too us we will send humans to Mars coz our Mars mission successfully get into Mars orbit in its first go or first attempt and total cost is around 73million $ 😂

[@1ndragunawan]

@@CSAdityaHoon maybe a small constellation of satellites orbiting Mars, but human spaceflight is currently really expensive and much more difficult than just lifeless satellites.

[@CSAdityaHoon]

@@1ndragunawan just a approx i tell yess we still need to develop lots of technologically advancement for it and no doubt Elon Musk will be the first who dominating in this race

[@1ndragunawan]

@@CSAdityaHoon Oh yes he will. His strategy to the Moon and Mars is simple, make a proven reliable launch system. One that will be achieve lunar or Mars landing within 1 or 2 terms of US presidency. No sane US president will throw away that chance, to be forever remembered in the same positive tone as Kennedy. Even Trump bet on Elon, and now Biden does too. I suggest India signed Artemis Accord and purchase a Starship flight to the Moon and Mars, that will accelerate national achievement, and definitely faster than what China will be doing. This is the strategy of UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries that signed Artemis Accord.

[@mynamemylastname7179]

That was a Heavy Scam idi0t. Earth is FLAT, Space is FAKE

[@johniii8147]

Most of his companies ended up failing. It's just a brand at this point. There is a very long list of the companies that failed with the brand.

[@java4653]

LOL. All these comments pretending to be experts are hilarious.

[@regolith1350]

The idea that Virgin Orbit was more flexible, more nimble because they could "launch from anywhere" is a nice marketing story and gives the impression they had hundreds of potential launch pads all around the world because all they needed was an airport runway. But that's marketing spin. In reality, the launch pad wasn't the runway. It was the highly modified 747 carrier aircraft - a flying launchpad - and there was only one of it. Instead of a nimble "launch from anywhere", the reality was the cumbersome "drag your entire launch pad ground infrastructure all around the world". And their concept of operations involved having a crew in close proximity to a fully loaded (and potentially explosive) rocket for several hours, including at rocket ignition. In every other rocket launch in the world, all humans are moved MILES AWAY long before liquid fuels are pumped into the rocket, and definitely during rocket ignition. In Orbit's case, the crew is sitting right on top of the rocket for hours and at the moment of rocket ignition are at most just a few hundred meters away. It was always a bad business model. And that's without even getting into the flawed economic analysis of the small satellite launch market.

[@michael2275]

Branson is not a first principles thinker and engineer, he's a marketer so makes sense.

[@RenoHomeBlog]

Great breakdown

[@matheusrotava6903]

But we can make planes that drive itself nowadays, then you dont need a crew in the plane

[@finnrutha4577]

not a single word on Rocket Lab eating their lunch? :D

[@cobra1010]

This Virgin doing everything from Cola to Airlines to Rockets always confused me. As a consumer I would not choose Virgin products. An obsolete company in my opinion. The super-woke advertisement of Virgin Atlantic finished if off for me.

[@pauld.b7129]

I was just wondering what happened to this project. This was actually my second favorite project next to SpaceX. It had alot of promise, it really is a good idea. Could have been a good vehicle for launching smaller crewed spacecraft one day. Would be cool to see another company pick this technology up.

[@YanestraAgain]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this company finally goes out of business.

[@quisqueyanguy120]

Well, the idea of launching commercial satellites from an airplane sounds good until you look at the cost comparisons with more traditional rockets. The versatility of launching everywhere and in every vector may be useful for the military, but the civilian space sector doesn't need that yet. Why bother with that when SpaceX has cheaper launches per kilogram?

[@mynamemylastname7179]

the cost is how much tax dollars they can scam you for idi0t. Space is Fake, Earth is Flat

[@trashpanda314]

You win some, you lose some.

[@buy.to.let.britain]

space cessna launched from cape pasty, cornwall.

[@United_Wings]

Wow

[@marksanders1034]

Excellent,

[@snehalsuryawanshi7824]

ISRO also has a proven low cost "BUS" service. There is a lot of competition in this space.

[@mynamemylastname7179]

not really just a lot of scammers waiting to take over. Earth is Flat Space is Fake ret@rd

[@zumabbar]

nice pun

[@thrillereighties8241]

Big leap back for brand Virgin.

[@brianw612]

A failed business model from the start. Pegasus has been doing the same thing for 3 decades and it is totally uncompetitive in todays space launch market. I wondered from the start what he was thinking.

[@tomallen6073]

Everyone seems to think it was a bad concept but they should’ve been the low cost leader using that 747. Having a fueled rocket strapped to the side of the 747 is another story.

[@banme2784]

Hahahaa what?

[@java4653]

They don't even know there are two companies and the second one just had their crew launch successfully.

[@Chris.Davies]

A poorly thought out launch system, without a customer. Good riddance. Let's see how long it takes for Spaceship 2 to kill everyone on board, and also go belly up.

[@sean.butterworth]

A well known chewing gum brand might be interested in those Boeings… 😂

[@stuntman4174]

Virgin Galactic is next to go bankrupt.

[@MonkeyspankO]

Its always sad to see good ideas not succeed.

[@dingopisscreek]

unfortunately this wasn't a good idea. just another ego trip for branson. same with musk and bezos. too much money and they don't know what to do with it. with all 3 it's all about ego.

[@MonkeyspankO]

@@dingopisscreek Its certainly a valid point to have, but I would argue you need a certain amount of ego to push humanity to the next level. Normal people don't start rocket companies. Even Elon lucked out to a degree that I think even he might be hesitant to admit.

[@pauld.b7129]

It was actually a great idea. Just not good enough to be competitive I think. Demand for satellite launches is pretty much met by SpaceX. There was really little reason for this company to get any contracts for 2 reasons. 1: they hadn't proven reliability. It's a risk to put your million dollar satellite onto a rocket that may explode. Reason 2: payload and volume, many satellites being launched are bigger than virgin was able to take, and also it could only launch one at a time. Even the basic Falcon from SpaceX can take multiple satellites in one go. So if you had multiple launches, it would take much longer and be more expensive with Virgin. I love the idea, but as for competing in a market, it just wasn't there.

[@111janeth]

Re upload videos😮

[@yashpatel261]

I do not see this as a failure. This is part of capitalism. Hopefully someone will have a better idea or a better implementation next time. Good effort richard.

[@OnikaMCPE]

What is the wall and who walks the street and who writes the journal!

[@marym7104]

Within 10 days!

[@thrillereighties8241]

Did not have what it takes and most likely does not have the funds to continue.

[@mynamemylastname7179]

He has plenty of your tax dollars that he scammed already. Earth is Flat Space is Fake idi0t

[@mikethompson3534]

Common sense always tells you anything that has to do with aviation usually ends up bankruptcy 😂

[@IM2357]

It took 10 years to generate any revenue?

[@mynamemylastname7179]

He Scammed you out of your Tax dollars for 10 years idi0t. Earth is Flat Space is Fake

[@pfrydog]

He should just stick to record sales.

[@dingopisscreek]

he left that behind a long time ago

[@marsspacex6065]

Spacex is the most successful and innovative space company in the world. Branson and Bezos are minnows in space, they don’t compare.

[@Easyrecliner]

SpaceX is definitely the big dog on the street, if the day comes when Elon puts SpaceX on the Stock Exchange, I'll be an investor. Another good company is Rocket Lab, they are nowhere near SpaceX, but has potential to be around for a long time and NASA uses them.

[@mynamemylastname7179]

SpaceX you mean FakeX Scammer. Earth is Flat Space is Fake mor0n

[@java4653]

LOL. MuskCult MuskCult MuskCult

[@marsspacex6065]

@@java4653 The person who has achieved more and will achieve more than any human in history, of course I admire Elon Musk.

[@mynamemylastname7179]

@@marsspacex6065 what has Elon the Scammer achieved? Besides pretending to be smart to steal you taxes.🐒

[@flyflybaby2723]

Branson v/s Elon is the example of businessman v/s an *engineer*

[@marym7104]

Within 71,200 views!

[@davidgreen2379]

Johnny CASH SOONER, OR LATER.....GOD will cut ya down❤

[@johndixon7007]

Space doesn’t exist so this all makes sense

[@arlenetanalgo6254]

Make vodka

[@moisesespiritosanto2195]

Hi, I'm from São Paulo!

[@alastairmiller2715]

superlative richard

[@ReginaldD.Felton-ct5ld]

His thoughts diminished , while worshiping idols , made that false financial game fade right away .

[@CrimsonAlchemist]

It's so hard to get investment for my normal businesses that have a good financial statement and P&L... Meanwhile these people in the West gets billions of dollars of investment without proper due diligence and plain old hunch.... What the heck

[@johngalt3940]

That’s the beauty of American capital, more finance capital in America and California than anywhere else in the world. Only in america can a startup get 100s of millions.

[@neeljavia2965]

Still they create companies which allow you to show your ignorance.

[@auro1986]

what how? british made an empire on earth so why not give space to america

[@Atipat12]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@nicholasmorello6370]

Bullish af

[@JPPSrules]

Branson is known for failures…Virgin America, Virgin Orbit etc

[@Atipat12]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ropro9817]

Glad that the posers are starting to die out.

[@mynamemylastname7179]

they are all posers🐒No One Goes to Space. Ever. Earth is Flat Space is Fake

[@spoortifyy]

UK😅

[@northpolenate]

negative content about richard branson is a cry for attention and a lame story, he is doing a lot to help the world

[@dingopisscreek]

true. but spending billions on failed rocket launches helps no one

[@ihmpall]

Went WOKE

[@ps3301]

What went wrong ? They didn't have Elon as their leader.

[@Fj8282haha]

Dude is scammer….

[@onlinespecialpo8171]

Just enjoy retirement lol

[@mynamemylastname7179]

He will as you pay for it in taxes. idi0t Earth is Flat Space is Fake

[@Martin-117]

*"THE PROTECTOR, OF ROCKET VIRGINITY... RIIIIIIICHAARD BRAAAAANNDSON"*

[@desidesigning]

No one can beat NASA!

[@f00kwhiteblackracismwarsh07]

actually they can dont be naive

[@republiccan7138]

Bad American politics can beat NASA. "We're from the government and we're here to help" President Ronald Reagan

[@mynamemylastname7179]

The Firmament Can Ret@rd. Earth is Flat Space is fake mor0n

[@TreCayUltimateLife]

Scammer.

[@Shlovanzleeat]

Ask any freshman and he'll tell you that, when your "Rocket's a Virgin", you can't fly around much.

[@michael2275]

Musk >>>> Branson

[@joshuakosch6475]

what went wrong? the employees are the reason for the failed launch. they did it on purpose. they dont care about reaching space. its "o look what i built now give me millions for while i sit around doing nothing for the rest of my life" now every last employee is fired .

[@java4653]

LOL. There's nothing as entertaining as the comments when the MuskCult is about.