Civil Aviation Authority to investigate failure to get satellites into orbit

UK Space Agency and Spaceport Cornwall say they will attempt second mission within a year

British air accident investigators are set to investigate the failed attempt to send satellites into orbit from Cornwall as the teams behind the historic mission described tearful scenes when their rocket was lost but expressed a determination to “go again” as soon as possible.

The UK Space Agency said Virgin Orbit’s Start Me Up mission had been a partial success, showing that a rocket launch was possible from Britain – and claimed it had beaten Norway and Sweden to be the first country to fire satellites into space from European soil.