Rocket Report: Starship going offshore, Blue Origin may launch humans in April

Enlarge / Rocket Lab's first mission of 2021 was named "Another One Leaves The Crust." (credit: Rocket Lab)

Welcome to Edition 3.30 of the Rocket Report! This week we're celebrating another private company—Virgin Orbit—has reaching orbit for the first time. Seeing the company's rocket drop from an aircraft last weekend and ascend into orbit on just its second attempt was darn impressive.

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Virgin Orbit goes orbital. On Sunday afternoon, Virgin Orbit joined the rare club of companies that have privately developed a rocket and successfully launched it into orbit. Moreover, with its LauncherOne rocket dropped from a 747 aircraft, the California-based company has become the first to reach orbit with an air-launched, liquid-fueled rocket.