Pioneering UK space launch collapses as rocket fails to reach orbit

A pioneering British space launch appeared to end in failure after Virgin Orbit said an "anomaly" had prevented its rocket from reaching orbit.

A modified jumbo jet called "Cosmic Girl" carried a Virgin Orbit rocket from Cornwall in southwestern England and released it from over the Atlantic Ocean, marking the first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from Western Europe.

But the space mission then hit technical difficulties, the Reuters news agency reports.

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"We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit," Virgin Orbit said.

"We are evaluating the information."

The mission, which saw the rocket attempt to take nine small satellites for mixed civil and defence use into orbit, was the first international launch for Virgin Orbit, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson.

Since January 2021, the company has conducted four successful launches from the Mojave desert in California.

The company has also experienced one previous failure. Virgin Orbit's first launch attempt out of California in May 2020 failed because of an engine issue.

Virgin Orbit's "Cosmic Girl" aircraft and crew did return safely to the ground after Monday's launch, the company confirmed on its livestream.

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Ahead of the flight, Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart had described the UK mission as a "historic endeavor."

Hundreds of people gathered for the launch on Monday night (Tuesday AEDT) and cheered as "Cosmic Girl," took off from Cornwall Airport.