Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 takes first flight with rocket attached

Virgin Orbit's Boeing 747 flew for the first time with a LauncherOne space rocket attached on Sunday, just one week after the modified jumbo jet performed high-speed taxi tests. The space company, founded by Sir Richard Branson, said it was the first time a Boeing 747 has ever carried a rocket in flight (though NASA transported space shuttles on modified 747s). The 80-minute test over Victorville, California was "a picture-perfect flight, and a major step forward in our quest to bring… (www.bizjournals.com) More...